The FAST test identifies up to 89% of strokes and TIA’s and is an easy way to recognise and remember the key signs of stroke, and what to do when they occur.

Using the FAST test involves asking three simple questions:

Face - Check their face. Has their mouth drooped?
Arms - Can they lift both arms?
Speech - Is their speech slurred? Do they understand you?
Time - Is critical. If you see any of these signs call 000 straight away.

We are  advertising the FAST message in March, June and October this year, if you would like to help support our efforts, you can hold your own FAST avtivity to help to spread the FAST messsage.

Simply order a  FAST activity pack, the pack contains posters, balloons, wallet cards and flyers to help you.

If you would like to participate in other ways or have any queries, please contact Jasmine Sison at jsison@strokefoundation.com.au or 03 9670 1000.

Note: You can order FAST activity packs all year round.

Originally from: The Guardian UK and tweaked for Australia audience by National Stroke Foundation.

What do the two readings mean?

Blood pressure is measured in “millimetres of mercury” (mm Hg) and is written as two numbers. The first (or top) number is your systolic blood pressure. It is the highest level your blood pressure reaches when your heart beats. The second (or bottom) number is your diastolic blood pressure. It is the lowest level your blood pressure reaches as your heart relaxes between beats.

How do I know if I have high blood pressure?

High blood pressure usually has no signs or symptoms, so the only way to know if you have hypertension is to have your blood pressure measured. The National Heart Foundation of Australia currently defines normal adult blood pressure as less than 120/80 mmHg. A reading between 120/80 and 140/90 mmHg is classified as normal to high blood pressure. High blood pressure is 140/90 mmHg or higher. If your blood pressure is 180/110 or higher, you have very high blood pressure.

If it has no symptoms why should I be concerned?

High blood pressure can lead to a heart attack, a stroke, heart failure or kidney disease.

There are often no symptoms of high blood pressure. Therefore, it is important that you have regular blood pressure checks. The only way to find out if your blood pressure is high is by having it checked regularly by a health professional.

Does blood pressure rise with age?

High blood pressure is caused by a range of factors including age, gender and family history. In most economically developed societies, blood pressure progressively rises with age although its unclear how much of this is to do with age per se or a lifetime of exposure to modifiable risk factors such as excessive salt and cholesterol intake, poor diet, physical inactivity and smoking.

Isn’t having a test quite anxiety-making?

Indeed. “White coat syndrome” is a phenomenon in which patients exhibit elevated blood pressure in a clinical setting but not at home. It is believed that this may be due to the anxiety some people experience when their reading is taken by a doctor.

To obtain a more accurate ambulatory reading, experts recommend that blood pressure should ideally be taken at home twice daily, once in the morning and once in the evening, with follow-up readings over several days.

One of my parents has high blood pressure: does that put me at risk?

Approximately 30% of cases of essential hypertension are attributable to genetic factors. For example, individuals who have one or two parents with hypertension are twice as likely to suffer from hypertension as the general population.

To date researchers have identified 28 blood pressure genes, including several that control a group of hormones known collectively as the angiotensin-renin-aldosterone system. This system influences all aspects of blood pressure control, including blood vessel contraction, sodium and water balance, and cell development in the heart. One theory as to why these genes may have been conserved in populations is that in times when salt was scarce, they conferred a survival advantage by enabling the body to conserve more sodium.

We all like to think that every time we speak we might save a life or assist in preventing dependent disability. There are no doubt many good news stories we don’t hear about and we are all making a difference every timed we speak. It is however very gratifying when we do hear these stories.

Late last year I spoke to a community group of about 20 women in their 70’s and 80’s. Recently the organiser of this talk contacted the NSF to let us know that a lady who heard me talk had a stroke a few months after hearing my presentation. The good news is, because of the strokesafe Ambassador presentation she recognised the signs of stroke, called 000 and has made a strong recovery.

In the busy-ness of kids, work and life my husband and I had begun jesting about me not talking time off work or away from family for groups of less than 80 young people, joking of course.

But joking aside, the key thing I’ve been reminded of is that every life is important. The quality of life of every stroke survivor matters. Stroke recovery is a difficult and lonely journey for all stroke survivors and those close to them, regardless of age.

The volunteering that we all do for the National Stroke Foundation really does make such a big difference to so many people.

Thanks for the post Karen. This story highlights how the fundraising our community does can directly affect someone life. With the money you raise we are able to channel funds into community programs about awareness, fund life saving research into stroke, lobby government and offer support for those affected by stroke.

A revolutionary iPhone app launched today will empower Australian shoppers to make healthier food choices and reduce their risk of dying early from two of the nation’s biggest killers – heart attack and stroke.

In three easy steps, Australian consumers can reduce excessively high levels of fat, salt and sugar in their families’ diets and share shopping lists with friends via social media.

Developed in Australia, and tailored for Australian shoppers, FoodSwitch allows users to scan the barcode of packaged foods using their iPhone camera and receive immediate, easy to understand nutritional advice and see healthier choices.

Importantly, the app displays healthier choices based on the nutritional value of more than 20,000 packaged food products found in Australian supermarkets - the result of three years of research by pre-eminent food and health policy experts from The George Institute for Global Health, and launched thanks to a new partnership with Bupa, one of Australia’s leading healthcare organisations.

“FoodSwitch’s three step approach marries the latest technology with cutting edge research. Australians can now scan barcodes, see what’s in a food, and switch to a healthier choice in an instant,” Professor Bruce Neal, Senior Director at The George Institute, said.

Bupa’s Head of Clinical Advisory, Dr Stan Goldstein, said FoodSwitch puts Bupa and The George Institute at the forefront of improving Australian families’ diets with a simple, practical tool.

“FoodSwitch comes at a pivotal time in the food labelling debate, with the Federal Government still considering changes towards food labelling systems for Australia,” Dr Goldstein said.

“While the food labelling debate is ongoing, this app uses the best available science to deliver immediate, easy-to-understand nutritional information so users can switch to healthier options now.”

Professor Neal said heart disease, stroke and other diseases caused mostly by a poor diet are the biggest killers in Australia.

“Choosing a healthier diet has to be made easier, because good eating habits are one of the best and most cost-effective ways to prevent disease,” Professor Neal said.

“For too long, people have grappled with confusing food labels. And with FoodSwitch there is no reason why this should continue.”

FoodSwitch ambassador, Olympic swimmer and television host Nicole Livingstone agrees that current food labelling – including front of pack claims and nutrition information panels – makes it incredibly difficult for parents to buy healthier foods.

“As parents, we all want our kids to eat well. However, up until now, it hasn’t been easy to get help in a simple way that lets you make informed food choices for your family,” Ms Livingstone said.

“The best part of the FoodSwitch app is that it takes the guesswork out of shopping by arming consumers with options for healthier products to purchase.”

Pat and Helen La Manna established a bequest to NSF by way of a charitable Foundation for very personal reasons. Helen has had a lifetime of high blood pressure and Pat has had a stroke. Their bequest was established in 2000 as a thank you because they both benefitted from stroke prevention and recovery treatment. Their wish is that their bequest help find a cure for stroke. Helen’s grandfather died of a stroke and after his stroke Pat promised himself that if he recovered he would work for charity. They are comforted to know their bequest will benefit everyone’s future. They meticulously researched the best way National Stroke Foundation could benefit from their bequest intentions and so their own Foundation was established. When in business they donated a percentage of every box of bananas sold plus a percentage of their takings from another business resulting in a high interest return to the Foundation.

Pat and Helen, who will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary on the 9th December, believe that generosity is contagious.

“People who don’t give learn about generosity from those around them,” they said.

Helen prefers to give without acknowledgement while Pat believes that he can help people become aware that giving makes a difference. Their differences complement their belief that, ‘giving is a gift’.

Pat was named Senior Australian of the Year in 2009, has a Papal Knighthood and is the recipient of a Lions International Award. They fund a research grant on ‘feasibility of a home-based program to improve handwriting legibility after stroke’.

Donors who leave a bequest to the NSF as part of their will may choose to leave a percentage of their estate or a specific dollar amount. If you would like more information please call our donor liaison team on 1300 194 196 or email Bequest@strokefoundation.com.au

New research warnings about the safety of daily doses of aspirin in people who do not have a history of heart attack or stroke reflect soon-to-be-released Australian guidelines on the management of cardiovascular risk, the National Vascular Disease Prevention Alliance (NVDPA) announced.

Professor Stephen Colagiuri, Chair of the NVDPA Expert Working Group that developed the new Guidelines for the Management of Absolute Cardiovascular Risk, said that previous studies have also shown that when people with no previous history of heart attack or stroke are taking medication for blood pressure or cholesterol lowering, adding aspirin has limited benefit.

“In fact aspirin can do more harm than good in these people because of the increased risk of serious gastric bleeds,” Professor Colagiuri said.

A UK-led study this week released research suggesting that healthy people who take aspirin to prevent a heart attack or stroke could be doing more harm than good.

The study, an analysis of more than 100,000 patients and published in Archives of Internal Medicine, concluded the risk of internal bleeding was too high.

Researchers stressed that aspirin has been shown to be safe and effective for people who have had a heart attack or stroke and it is still recommended for people who are able to take it who have had a cardiovascular event.

The new Australian guidelines recommend that aspirin or other similar agents should not be taken routinely by people with no previous history of heart attacks or stroke.

Professor Colagiuri recommended that people concerned about their risk of cardiovascular disease should see their doctor to have a risk assessment, which will calculate their likelihood of developing disease in the next five years based on a number of risk factors such as smoking status, blood pressure, cholesterol, age and diabetes. He said, however, that no one should stop taking their regular medication without first consulting their GP.

The Guidelines for the Management of Absolute Cardiovascular Disease Risk have been prepared by the National Vascular Disease Prevention Alliance, a consortium comprising Diabetes Australia, Kidney Health Australia, the National Heart Foundation of Australia and the National Stroke Foundation.

Image Via printerinkcartridgesblog.printcountry.com

The link between osteoporosis (where the bones become fragile and brittle and more prone to breaking) and stroke is still not entirely clear but we know that people affected by stroke have a higher risk of developing osteoporosis than people of similar age without stroke. Bone loss after stroke is often rapid and more pronounced in the side of the body that was affected by the stroke. Although the cause of bone loss is unclear, the amount of bone loss experienced by people with stroke appears related to the length of time they are immobile, the extent of muscle weakness and atrophy (shrinking muscles) and reduced weight bearing activities (like walking) and fitness.

Associate Professor Julie Bernhardt, who is a member of the NSF Clinical Council and a specialist in stroke rehabilitation, says research is continuing into the best way of preventing osteoporosis after stroke but stroke survivors should be careful to reduce their risk of falling.

She recommends that you:
1. Reduce risks of falls by having an assessment of your home environment completed; this may include checking lighting, floor coverings and bathrooms.
2. Hand rails in some rooms may be useful
3. Make sure that your medications are monitored regularly (drug interactions and sleeping pills can increase your risk of falls)
4. Take part in regular exercise to help maintain your mobility, strength and balance.

Falls are common both in hospital and out. Therapy and nursing staff are particularly concerned about people affected by stroke having a fall and they may require that someone is with the person at all times when they walk, particularly in the early phase of rehabilitation. Not all falls lead to injury however, so it is always the case that the rehabilitation team weigh up the need for the stroke survivor to have independence (and practice being independent), with the possible risk of falling. Something that should be covered in a rehabilitation plan is teaching the person how to get up again if they fall but are not injured. This can be a really helpful thing to learn!

There is still a lot we need to learn about the link between stroke and bone loss and the most effective ways to prevent or slow it. There are a number of researchers around Australia interested in this issue and they hope to answer some of these questions in the coming years. In the mean time, be active and exercise as much as you can. It seems to be a promising intervention to help general well being and health as well as your bones.

Welcome to the round up of 2011 Stroke Foundation blog. I would like to begin with a thank you for your generous support of the Stroke Foundation. Without your help, we could not provide vital services to the many people affected by stroke every year.

In 2011 our team has been involved in many new initiatives for stroke and has also been finalising a number of projects that have been in development. Some new projects include a comprehensive consumer resource – My Stroke Journey to be distributed to people when they have their stroke – which we expect to be rolled out in 2012. This initiative will serve as a roadmap of available services and a guide to the complex path to recovery many stroke survivors will tread. Developed out of a clear need expressed by the stroke community – survivors, families and carers - the kit will complement StrokeLine, which is an important freecall service where any individual can speak to an NSF health professional for advice and support about stroke.

A comprehensive survey of the needs of stroke survivors, families and carers is also being undertaken. This important work reflects our commitment to supporting every individual touched by stroke from their hospital admission to rehabilitation and their return home. This research project will survey 1,000 stroke survivors and carers using methodology already endorsed and tested by the UK Stroke Association, to estimate the long-term unmet need for stroke care in Australia. A survey of this scope has not previously been conducted here and we are grateful to The Trust Company and Collier Charitable Foundation for their generous support in funding this important piece of work.

We have just launched a successful audit of acute stroke services in Australian hospitals. A detailed and exhaustive process that is drawn from feedback from participating hospitals in Australia who see more than 100 cases of stroke every year. From this survey we can provide a snapshot of the strengths and weaknesses of the system as it pertains to stroke. The final document, which we revisit every two years, is used to measure progress in acute stroke services and is a guide to where improvements need to be made. While there have been some improvements, Australian hospitals are still lacking an adequate number of stroke units where we know if stroke patients are admitted in the first instance they are most likely to recover and have the best chance of returning to an independent life.

We have also enjoyed wonderful support from the community in some of the new fundraising events we have initiated. A highlight of our fundraising this year is Food for Thought. Held this year in Melbourne, Sydney and Hobart, the event brings together elite chefs who kindly donate their time, skill and produce to provide an evening of fine food and entertainment while drawing attention to the seriousness of stroke. Life-sized photographic portraits of stroke survivors remind guests and sponsors of why they have been brought together. Some images from the 2011 program are included here for your interest as well as 2012 program dates. Please consider supporting one of these beautiful evenings next year. Other fundraising initiatives include this year’s inaugural Walk for Stroke, where a group of supporters walked the stunning Great Ocean Rd to raise money for NSF. Our thanks and appreciation for such a great achievement. Support continues from our very loyal community and we are extremely grateful to the donors, volunteers, foundations, companies and private benefactors who generously contribute to our cause.

Our mission remains to stop stroke, save lives and end suffering. With your continued help we work towards realising this goal every year. In the meantime we are able to provide better support for the stroke community and can continue to lobby the Governments of Australia for better services for stroke - at every stage of the journey – for survivors, their family and friends. Thank you. Every dollar we raise makes a difference and we cannot achieve our mission without you.

As always, please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or comments about our work and we hope you have a safe and healthy summer.

Merry Christmas,

Erin Lalor

Note: More about the stroke survivor and carer survey.

Have you had a stroke? Are you a carer of someone who has had a stroke?

The National Stroke Foundation is conducting a national survey of stroke survivors and carers of stroke survivors. We need your help to find out what stroke support or services are currently needed in Australia. This information will help to inform strategy and advocacy work of the National Stroke Foundation.

Please click here to download a patient information sheet for you and your carer to read, so that you can decide if one or both of you wish to complete the survey. It contains detailed information about the project and clearly explains all of the processes involved.

To participate please click here and complete the online survey or call 1800 STROKE (1800 787 653) to complete the survey over the telephone

If you prefer to be contacted by post please email survey@strokefoundation.com.au with your postal address to receive a survey in the mail.

There are many adjustments that need to be made to life after stroke and not all of them by the person who has had the stroke. Stroke happens in an instant – and so too, does becoming a stroke carer. Taking on the role of carer can bring with it a great many emotional, time and financial pressures. Sometimes the end of the year – with holidays, parties and family visiting – can add to carer stress. We’d like to remind carers to take some time out for themselves and to ask for support when things are feeling too difficult.

Vivienne Harkness understands the jolt to reality that comes with a new life as a carer. When her husband, Peter Harkness, suffered a severe stroke at 7.01pm on May 30 this year Peter, Vivienne and their family began a journey that continues today.

“The stroke was hard on Peter and continues to be very difficult,” Vivienne says.

“But as carer I have experienced some changes to my life that I could never have anticipated.”

As her own means of coping as well as handling the dozens of phone calls she would have to make at this stressful time, Vivienne wrote an email to all friends and family letting them know what had happened. For the next few months Vivienne kept up her correspondence as Peter went through rehabilitation and finally came home. It was a very practical form of therapy, she says.

Vivienne’s first-hand experience of life as a carer gave her a close-up glimpse of the day-to-day challenges of life after stroke.

“Carers need a great deal of support,” Vivienne says. “It is a taxing job and one that you are not prepared for as you can never prepare for stroke.”

“You can’t understand the life of a stroke carer until you become one,” she says.

Here are some general tips for looking after yourself so you have enough energy to care for someone else:

No one plans on becoming a carer. If you are a carer it is important that you don’t feel alone – especially if you don’t have family members to give help and support.
Although there will be changes in your life it is important to remember your own needs. You should continue to do the things that you did before your life was affected by stroke, making sure to keep the person who has had the stroke involved in, or at least aware of what is happening.
Carers often manage the health care and medications of the person they care for. You may also have a lot to do with health care professionals as part of your caring role. Think of yourself as being part of the team working with the stroke survivor to make the best recovery possible.
Do not be afraid to ask your general practitioner or your stroke team for guidance and support. There is also a list of carer support agencies at Strokefoundation.com.au

Adrian had a stroke in his mid-30’s, ten weeks before the birth of his daughter. Since then Adrian has made a remarkable recovery, including trekking through Tasmania with his best mate, to raise money for the Stroke Foundation. Recently Adrian has gone on the journey of advocating for himself and other survivors with local and state government authorities in NSW. He shared his story with us, so we will share it with you.

To keep it real we have permission to share with you Adrian’s emails and letters. Thanks Adrian (Stroke Foundation Consumer Council Member).

What is the issue and who you are taking on?

In NSW there is a travel pass called a Vision Impaired Person Pass that entitles you to free Bus/Rail/Ferry travel administered by Passes and Concessions at Cityrail. Given that my vision problems prevent me from driving, I thought I’d get one. It would save me $48 a week.

I rang up and asked to be sent an application. Upon reading it I knew there was no point applying as I wasn’t eligible because of the criteria they use. The criteria are about visual acuity on the Snellens scale, i.e. how well you see - 6/6 etc, or field loss (beautiful language this) in the better of the two eyes. I don’t have a better and worse eye. Both eyes are affected equally. I rang the office and explained this to the man that I can’t apply because I don’t meet the criteria; I likened it to having a cancer patients pass where you offer the pass for some types of cancer but not others. He charmingly said, “We don’t make the criteria, you’ll have to talk to the Ministry.” He got my back up. So I did.

What I was taking on was getting the criteria changed to make them more equitable. Ultimately I was taking on the Minister of Transport.

What are you hoping to achieve?

After thinking about it, the best outcome as I could see it, no pun intended, was to remove all the vision stuff from the application process completely. This was a pretty radical idea and where I ran in to problems, advocating for the introduction of a vision pass where you remove the vision stuff in the application. Instead I wanted the application process to look at a person’s ability, or lack thereof, to hold a driver’s licence as the determinant in eligibility for a pass. If the applicant can no longer hold a licence they’ve obviously suffered significant vision loss, regardless of the type, and are going to be reliant on public transport. It simplifies the process for everyone.

In its current format I have to go to an ophthalmologist or optometrist, at some cost, to fill out the form for me then they have to review said results. Or my alternative, have one part of the Department of Transport, Cityrail, ring another part, the Roads and Traffic Authority and ask “does Joe Bloggs have a licence? No? Thanks.” Joe Bloggs gets pass.

Why you think it is important?

Personal interest says I can save almost $2500 a year but am not eligible. That was one motivator. Stroke affects my earning capacity, costs me money every year in drugs, doctors, special gloves I need, orthotics and more. Here was an opportunity to have a win for a change.

I wanted to make it easier for the next person who runs into this problem. The next person may not be as tenacious as me and just give up because it is too hard. I don’t want them to miss out.

What is the process you experienced?

First, determine what you want. Have a plan. Have a devil’s advocate friend you can bounce ideas off, vent etc. First step I talked to people including the NSF, Disability Legal Advisory Centre, Vision Australia and the NSW Anti-Discrimination Board to determine if I indeed had a fight worth fighting. All had solid advice, the Disability Legal Centre were especially interested in taking on this cause. Ultimately I didn’t want professionals involved because I felt I could do a better job of advocacy and I had a better approach. Better than the professionals, I believe, because I was personally involved. But I was a total amateur.

Line up your ducks and always take a reasonable approach. Be a nice person to deal with even if the person you are dealing with isn’t, don’t get emotional - it’s a waste of energy and it doesn’t help as this process isn’t about you. Be consistent. I always asked for the same result, nothing more or less. If anything I was being too nice. Keep a big stick handy, I mentioned that I’d spoken to the Anti-Discrimination Board but that wasn’t the approach I wanted to take. I looked at it as a bit of intellectual sport and fun, seriously, but also I wouldn’t have picked the fight if I didn’t think I could win.

Here is a summary of the process I followed: ring Minister’s office and explain situation. No joy. Contact local member - provide info, provide more info. They contact Minister on my behalf. Wait. Wait more. After four months ring up Minister’s office and give friendly prod. After five months get ineffectual response via local member. Ring up Minister’s office and ask to speak to either the person who wrote the useless response or the Minister. Told I am not able to. Fume a bit. Get a bit cross. Move on to the person who is likely to be Minister after election on March 26. When she is Minister get in contact again. Receive another not-great response from new Minister. Received contact from the office that administers said pass, told that they can, in fact, make exceptions to criteria if you don’t meet them. Tell them if I was told this in the first place, instead of “you’ll have to contact ministry” all of this could have been avoided. “Oops, sorry Mr. O’Malley.” Go back to local member explain where we are at. Asked to send email outlining what I’d like as she proposes tabling it as private member’s bill. Good result. Wait about seven weeks.

Receive a phone call to be told it will be tabled. Get ready to put on suit and go to Parliament house.

From initial contact to this point has been about 15 months. I haven’t rushed. I sat on things and ruminated at times. Haven’t included here all the phone calls made, probably have spent more than four hours on the phone and have made at least 20 calls.

Where you are now in the process?

I am awaiting notification that I can put on suit, go to Parliament house and get to watch democratic process in action. I stopped cutting off my nose to spite my face and accepted the offer of the pass.

What you have learned?

That I’m tenacious, well actually nine weeks in hospital and seven months of rehab taught me that but discovering that the tenacity is applicable in many areas is something I have really enjoyed. That I’ve done a good job and that I am looking forward to the next fight/bit of intellectual sport and the one after that. And so on. Being a reasonable nice guy with a consistent approach works because it gets people on your side/doesn’t give them the shits and will actually deal with you.

What’s the next step for you?

Next steps remain to be seen. If the private members bill fails, if MPs are brave enough/such complete bastards/stupid enough to vote down something that would make things fairer for disabled people, I’ll switch to sneaky/nasty Ade and use the big sticks I talked about. It pays to think at the beginning of the process that you may need them some way down the track and I’ve always been prepared for this eventuality. Use them only when you’ve exhausted all other avenues. I’ll contact shock jocks and papers with the flow of nice emails, that’s why I’m always nice, and the ineffectual replies I received, the fobbing off and then implement the “I’m just a poor disabled guy trying to make things better/fairer for everyone because it isn’t fair, I tells ya,” line.

Before I did that though I’d contact the Minister’s office - because I’m a nice guy and we may cross paths again - thank her for my pass, and ask for a meeting to see if we can discuss the issues I raised that she ignored earlier and perhaps mention my intention to start using said big sticks.

If all that fails I’ll also launch a case with the NSW Anti-Discrimination Board but let the rabid dogs off the leash for that one and let them take over because by that point I reckon I’ll have had enough. If all that doesn’t achieve the change that I set out to achieve I’ll still have saved myself $2500 a year for the rest of my life and be comfortable in the knowledge that while I may have ultimately failed I had a red hot go in making it easier for the next person who “doesn’t meet the criteria.” Not a bad result really.

There you go. Bear in mind I’m nowhere near a professional but I was smart. In future I’ll always take the same approach. If I’m doing it because I’m angry I’ll do it wrong. If you look at the tone I used I wasn’t pleading at any point, I just tried to be articulate and offer a reasonable solution and everyone I spoke to agreed. I harp on about reasonableness but it works. I’ll start charging for my advice I reckon!