Farm Bureau to sponsor stroke screening
By ANGIE JOHANNSEN, News-Tribune Editor
As a first step in easy preventive medicine Hancock County Farm Bureau is sponsoring a program this week for stroke detection.
Stroke Detection Plus will offer stroke and vascular screenings at Hancock County Farm Bureau Thursday Oct. 9 from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Stroke Detection Plus, a mobile clinic based in Des Moines, brings technicians and equipment to Iowa communities to perform screenings on people without symptoms to assess the risk of stroke, abdominal aortic aneurysm, peripheral vascular disease (blockage in the arms and legs) and osteoporosis.
“This is definitely a benefit to the community,” said Brenda Adams, of Farm Bureau. “This points out the health risks to people so they can follow-up with their doctors.”
According to the National Stroke Association, stroke is the third leading cause of death in the U.S. and the No. 1 cause of adult disability. Eighty percent of strokes are preventable. Nationally, there were 750,000 stroke victims last year. Two-thirds of those people had no warning before their stroke.
It's sobering statistics such as these that make Katherine Hagge's work so important. She is the wellness coordinator for Stroke Detection Plus.
“There are a lot of conditions that cause stroke - a lot of silent conditions - and we want to help people with these,” Hagge said. With the use of ultrasound equipment for early detection, 75 to 80 percent of strokes can be avoided, Hagge says.
The ultrasound procedure Stroke Detection Plus uses allows doctors and technicians to visualize disease without invasive procedures or surgery.
Appointments are necessary and can be made by calling toll free 877-732-8258.
Hagge said an average of 2-3 people per day are recommended for follow-up care with their physician after the screening.
“We just want to make sure people are really as healthy as they feel and have piece of mind,” she added.
Story created Oct 09, 2008 - 09:51:16 CDT.
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