Use FAST clues to look for stroke

By Daniel Gaitan NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – May is National Stroke Awareness Month, and experts are using the time to teach Americans about the risk factors and warning signs. “The public is dangerously uninformed about what stroke is, and what the signs and symptoms of stroke are, as well as the risk factors,” Jim Baranski, C.E.O. of the National Stroke Association, told Reuters Health. The National Stroke Association suggests using the word FAST to help recognize the signs of a stroke. The American Stroke Association says that during a stroke, “Time lost is brain lost.” An estimated two million brain cells die every minute during a stroke, increasing risk of permanent brain damage, disability and death.