The death of actor Luke Perry at age 52 from an ischemic stroke — caused by a blocked blood vessel to the brain — brought to light the sobering truth that strokes do occur in younger people.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in seven patients hospitalized for ischemic stroke every year are younger adults.

Age is an important factor for all of us: CDC reports that risk for stroke increases starting at 55, and nearly doubles every decade thereafter.

Lehigh Valley Health Network provides unparalleled stroke diagnosis, treatment and prevention services.

In 2012, Lehigh Valley Hospital–Cedar Crest was the first hospital in Pennsylvania to be certified as a Comprehensive Stroke Center. LVH–Muhlenberg, LVH–Hazleton and LVH–Pocono are all certified Primary Stroke Centers.

Time is brain

The ultimate success of stroke care depends on one factor: time.

“People need to recognize symptoms of stroke and call 911,” says neurologist and neurocritical care specialist Christopher Melinosky, with LVPG Neurocritical Care.

“When you call an ambulance, it triggers an alert, so that a stroke team is waiting at the hospital when you arrive, ready to provide immediate treatment.”

Melinosky says the mnemonic BE FAST is the most useful way to remember stroke symptoms.

“If you think you’re having a stroke, don’t take an aspirin, which is only recommended when you are having heart attack symptoms,” Melinosky says. “If you are having a hemorrhagic stroke, aspirin may actually worsen bleeding in the brain. The best thing to do is call 911 immediately.”

Know the signs

The medical world recommends learning the BE FAST stroke symptoms and ask these questions.

• Balance: Is balance or coordination suddenly impaired?

• Eyes: Is vision suddenly blurred or double?

• Face: Ask the person to smile. Does one side of the face droop?

• Arms: Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?

• Speech: Ask the person to repeat a simple phrase. Is speech slurred or strange?

• Time: If you see any of these signs, call 911 right away.

Types of Stroke

There are a few types of stroke that doctors look for when symptoms present.

An ischemic stroke occurs when a vessel carrying blood to the brain is blocked by a clot, causing an interruption in blood flow.

Ischemic stroke accounts for about 87 percent of all strokes.

The first-line treatment for ischemic stroke is a clot-busting drug called tissue plasminogen activator, or tPA.

This medication must be administered within a three-hour window of symptom onset (and up to 4.5 hours in certain patients), the earlier the better.

Mechanical thrombectomy, in which doctors manually remove a clot using a catheter and stent system, can be performed up to 24 hours after symptom onset in certain patients, and often offers the greatest chance for recovery.

A hemorrhagic stroke is caused by bleeding into or around the brain; it accounts for about 15 percent of strokes but about 40 percent of stroke deaths.

This type of stroke may be treated with medications that control further bleeding, control high blood pressure and reduce brain swelling. Surgery also can be performed to seal off or repair bleeding vessels in some cases.

A transient ischemic attack occurs when blood flow to the brain stops for a short time, causing strokelike symptoms.

TIA, sometimes called a “mini-stroke,” is a warning that you are in danger of having a major stroke.

This is considered a neurologic emergency, and appropriate work-up may actually be able to prevent a stroke.

For more information on stroke care, visit LVHN.org/conditions/stroke or call 888-402-LVHN (5846).