The origins of the word stroke provide a great deal of insight on how this dreadful disease was and is perceived. A stroke was originally called an apoplexy, which in Greek means “struck with violence.” The perception was that a stroke was simply an invisible attack on the body, and the 1599 Oxford English Dictionary actually defined a stroke as a “stroke of God’s hands.”

Fortunately, medical advances since the 16th century have overwhelming improved our treatment and understanding of this disease. However, for many Americans, a stroke is still an invisible, unexpected attack. That’s because many people do not recognize the symptoms. The average stroke patient waits up to six hours before seeking medical treatment, though lost time often means the difference between recovery and death or permanent disability. This shocking statistic is one of many reasons the Senate must pass the Stroke Treatment and Ongoing Prevention Act of 2007 (STOP Stroke Act).

The nation’s No. 3 killer and a leading cause of disability, stroke has had a devastating toll on our nation and particularly Mississippi, one of the southern states that lies in the Stroke Belt. In Mississippi, stroke kills more than 1,600 people each year, and another 91,000 Mississippians are living with the consequences of stroke. Stroke also imposes an enormous economic burden on our nation and on families. This year, the estimated direct and indirect cost for stroke is $62.7 billion, with a good portion of that being funded by Medicare and Medicaid. If measures are not taken, this situation will only worsen as baby boomers age. Current projections show death and disability from stroke nearly doubling by 2032.

There are ways all of us can prevent this from happening. As individuals, we must monitor our blood pressure and cholesterol, and other risk factors that we can control.  As stewards of our nation’s health, we must pass the STOP Stroke Act, which aims to prevent stroke and help stroke patients receive appropriate care by focusing on three core areas.

The first would be Americans’ understanding of stroke and its risk factors. One of the reasons the average stroke patient waits so long before seeking medical treatment is because of a lack of knowledge of the warning signs. Nearly 40 percent of patients admitted to the hospital do not know the signs, such as numbness in the face and loss of balance, or risk factors. The STOP Stroke Act addresses this problem by authorizing a national public awareness campaign to educate the public about stroke warning signs and the best methods for preventing stroke.

The legislation then establishes a grant program to assist states in coordinating stroke care so that patients have access to prompt, quality stroke prevention, treatment and rehabilitation services. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s mantra is “Time lost is brain lost.” It’s crucial that all healthcare providers caring for stroke patients have protocols and equipment in place to ensure that they receive the best treatment as quickly as possible.

The third component of this legislation creates a clearinghouse to serve as a resource for states and expands the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Paul Coverdell National Acute Stroke Registry. This program currently helps eight states (Oregon, California, Michigan, Illinois, Ohio, North Carolina, Georgia and Massachusetts) implement state-based stroke registries that monitor and improve the quality of hospital care for stroke victims. It has proven effective in doing so. In fact, several states have been able to monitor an increase in usage of the clot-busting drugs used in acute stroke treatment as a result of this registry.

The STOP Stroke Act was first introduced in 2001 and has secured bipartisan support since, passing the Senate unanimously in the 107th Congress and the House of Representatives in the 108th Congress. The House passed this legislation on March 27, 2007, and it was reintroduced in the Senate on that day. The Senate should now approve this bill so that it can be signed into law.

Every 45 seconds someone has a stroke. With more Americans suffering the crippling effects of this disease, treatment costs alone are projected to exceed $2 trillion cumulatively by 2050. If we have any chance of heading off this ticking time bomb, we must pass the STOP Stroke Act to combat this horrendous attack on our nation’s health.

Cochran is the ranking member of the Senate Appropriations Committee and Jones is president of the American Heart Association.

Healthcare must be a right, not a privilege, in America
Patient-centered healthcare — at the crossroads
The forgotten victims of September 11 — suffering from Ground Zero toxins
Building safety into the system
Bush declares war on bipartisan bill to provide health insurance to children
Stop an invisible attack on our nation’s health
Pass the Healthy Americans Act
A worthwhile prescription: expanding, not dismantling, healthcare coverage
The National Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis Awareness Week observed