SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO AM) - This is National Stroke Awareness Month and South Dakotans are encouraged to be aware of the warning signs, and take preventative measures.
Chrissy Meyer with the American Heart Association of South Dakota says eighty percent of strokes are preventable.
Meyer says high blood pressure is public enemy number one. She says three out of four people who have a first strokereport blood pressure higher than 140/90 making blood pressure the most important controllable risk factor for stroke.
Meyer says American Indian adults and other people of color are at a higher stroke risk than their white peers.
She says that African-Americans are at increased risk. Blacks are twice as likely to have a stroke compared to whites, and are more likely to have a stroke at a younger age.
Having a stroke is the fifth leading cause of death but researchers say it's oftentimes more disabling than it is deadly. The most common stroke warning signs are face drooping, arm weakness and speech difficulty and Meyer says that's when it's time to call 911.