Get Ahead of Strokes

The Get Ahead of Stroke® campaign is celebrating Survive Stroke Week (May 4–10, 2025), an observance aimed at increasing awareness of stroke symptoms and the importance of calling 911 right away for the best possible chance to survive and thrive after stroke.

Stroke Rates Among Hispanic Individuals

• The Hispanic population has experienced an increase in stroke incidence since 2013.
• A CDC report showed that just 58% of Hispanic adults could identify symptoms of a stroke, compared to their Black (64%) and white (71%) peers.
• Stroke ranks as the fourth leading cause of death for Hispanic men and the third for Hispanic women in the U.S.

Disparities in Care

• In studies that detected racial disparities in emergency services, EMS usage was lower by as much as 40% in Hispanic patients.
• A greater proportion of white patients (37.4%) were estimated to arrive within 3 hours from onset of stroke symptoms than Hispanic (28.9%) patients. 
• Hispanic patients had the highest rate of discharge to home without home health care services (49.1%) and the lowest rate of facility-based rehabilitation service utilization after stroke.
• In border states, Hispanic individuals who experienced ischemic stroke were 30% more likely to suffer in-hospital mortality vs. their non-Hispanic counterparts.

Why Is Stroke an Emergency?

• Nearly 2 million brain cells die every minute that an ischemic stroke goes untreated.
• Not all strokes are the same, which means each requires unique treatment at specialized stroke centers from highly trained stroke care teams.

Lowering Chance of Lifelong Disability or Death

• Know the signs of stroke and call 911 immediately. Modeled after BE FAST, the Spanish acronym RÁPIDO was created to raise awareness of stroke symptoms in the Hispanic community.
• RÁPIDO
  • Rostro caído
  • Álteración del equilibrio
  • Pérdida de fuerza
  • Impedimento visual
  • Dificultad para hablar
  • Obtenga ayuda rápido
• BE FAST
  • Balance: Sudden loss of balance or coordination
  • Eyes: Sudden trouble seeing out of one or both eyes
  • Face: One side of the face drooping or feeling numb
  • Arms: Weakness or numbness in one arm, making it difficult to raise both arms evenly
  • Speech: Difficulty speaking, slurred speech, or being unable to find the right words
  • Time: Time to call 911 immediately if any of these symptoms are present

How to Learn More

• Visit our website at getaheadofstroke.org for more information and educational resources to share with your community.
• Follow us on X, Facebook, and Instagram: @SurviveStroke

Key Messages

• The odds of surviving and regaining independence for stroke patients are better than ever if they receive treatment right away.
• Call 911 for any symptom of stroke so you can be triaged and transported as quickly as possible to an appropriate stroke care facility. This means that the presence of just one symptom is reason enough to call 911.
• Stroke is life-threatening and time sensitive. Taking symptoms seriously is the best way to ensure that you survive and increase your chances of living with little to no disability.
• If stroke symptoms are identified quickly, patients have a chance to live full, independent lives upon recovery.
• Stroke prevention is important, but with quick action and appropriate treatment, patients can survive and thrive after a stroke. That’s what Survive Stroke Week is all about.
• Identify the differences and similarities between stroke and a heart attack

Statistics about Stroke in the United States

• Every 40 seconds, someone in the U.S. has a stroke. Appropriate care can be the difference between life and death.
• Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death in the U.S. and the leading cause of adult disability.
• There are nearly 800,000 strokes in America each year, or over 2,000 a day.
• Someone in the United States dies every 4 minutes due to a stroke.

Delayed Intervention Risks

• Nearly two million brain cells die every minute a stroke goes untreated. Without quick treatment, many patients experience disability after their stroke.
• With each hour in which treatment fails to occur, the brain loses as many neurons as it does in almost 3.6 years of normal aging.
• The number or even severity of stroke symptoms does not equal how dangerous or serious a stroke can be. Only medical professionals can determine the kind of stroke someone is having and what kind of treatment they need.

BE FAST — Call 911

• Patients can survive and limit disability if they call 911 and BE FAST as soon as they start exhibiting stroke symptoms.
• EMS personnel can immediately start assessing symptoms and identify the facility that can best meet the patient’s needs.
• Receiving treatment specific to stroke will save on a mountain of costs down the road, like rehabilitation and recovery, lost wages due to inability to work, and any financial implications of having someone provide care.
• For every minute saved in transfer to the appropriate care for stroke, there is $1,000 in savings on medical costs for short- and long-term care.
• Driving to the ER could result in minutes, if not hours in the waiting room. Time is of the essence with stroke and patients cannot take that risk.
• If you see something that’s not normal, it’s not nothing. Even one stroke symptom is enough reason to call 911.

• Research shows that severe stroke patients gain one week of healthy life for every minute that is saved in getting them appropriate care.
• For every 10 minutes saved in getting appropriate treatment, patients experienced an additional month of life free from disability.
• Stroke costs in the U.S. are currently estimated at about $56 billion. By significantly reducing the amount of damage from a stroke, thrombectomy helps reduce recovery time, getting patients back on their feet so they may live independently and work again.

“Recognizing the signs and symptoms of strokes early is the key to swift intervention and improved outcomes,” said Dr. Mahesh Jayaraman, Professor and Chair of Diagnostic Imaging at Brown University, Director of the Neurovascualar Center at Rhode Island Hospital and President of the Society of NeuroInterventional Surgery (SNIS). “Through Survive Stroke Week, we aim to educate communities, especially those most at risk, about the importance of identifying stroke symptoms and calling for medical assistance as quickly as possible. We want to empower individuals and their loved ones to become the first line of defense against this deadly threat.”

Get Ahead of Stroke® is a national public education and advocacy campaign designed to improve systems of care for stroke patients. Founded in 2016 by the Society of NeuroInterventional Surgery (SNIS), today the campaign is supported by a coalition of organizations with the goal of securing the best possible outcomes for stroke patients by driving policy change and public awareness nationwide. Follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram.