Anjanette Ferris Quotations

Our study documents a knowledge gap between racial/ethnic minorities and whites regarding stroke warning signs. It is paradoxical that racial and ethnic minorities at highest risk were least aware. As with heart attack, it is critical that women at risk for stroke know the warning signs because delayed treatment can lead to greater disability or death.

It is doubly important for African American women to pay attention to heart disease and stroke risk factors because the prevalence of heart disease, stroke and other cardiovascular diseases is 44.7 percent for African American women compared to 32.4 percent in white women. We want women to know their risk factors and support each other in making the right choices everyday to reduce their risks.

Yet only one-third of women surveyed in 2003 said that they felt very well or well informed about stroke.

These data support the need for targeted educational programs on the warning signs of stroke and underscore the importance of public health programs to improve awareness and prevention of stroke among women, especially among minority women who are at highest risk.