Know-Stroke.org

Should all young athletes in the US have their hearts screened?

They do in Italy. Why not here?

by David Dansereau for know-stroke.org

My guess is you’ll hear more about this debate on the nightly news this evening and in the days to come. That is because two studies published yesterday are reigniting an emotionally charged debate about whether young athletes should be screened with an $88 heart test to possibly reduce the small risk of sudden death from an undiagnosed heart problem. This debate also follows the recent death of two young athletes who died from sudden cardiac death. (They were Chicago Bears defensive end Gaines Adams, 26, and Southern Indiana basketball center Jeron Lewis, 21, both presumably from sudden cardiac death).

[Personal Sidebar: Screen all our KIDS involved in sports! While this debate continues, educate our coaches, parents and teachers how to respond FAST in the event of an emergency (stroke or cardiac arrest) from a heart defect. If I had been screened as a kid, I may not have had my 1^st (or 2^nd) stroke!! ]

Here’s all the headlines from today and links to the full stories:

Study: EKGs for young athletes cost-effective

San Fransisco Chronicle

Ask Dr. H: Young athletes and sudden cardiac death

Philadelphia Daily News

Studies spur debate on heart tests for athletes

The Columbus Dispatch

$88 scan detects deadly heart defect in athletes

The Salt Lake Tribune

Screening athletes could prevent sudden deaths

MSNBC

Heart test debate heats up

The Boston Globe

Screening May Save Athletes

The New York Times

Ask Dr. H: Young athletes and sudden cardiac death

Philadelphia Daily News

You are not running, why should I donate?

If you have considered that it would still be the right thing to do but then clicked away, I’m here on video to remind you of why your donation to the American Stroke Association is important.  If you have donated to my fundraising and stroke awareness efforts in past, I sincerely thank you again.  I look forward to your continued support.  I appreciate every penny that comes in, especially in a difficult economy. You can help make a difference.  Every donation counts.  I hope you have been helped by my blog at know-stroke.org, and now is the time for you to step up.  It has been my intent from the start that through putting my story out there I might further educate others about their own condition.  In doing so I have been blessed to get to know many of you personally over the phone and many have expressed thanks and stated they will become more informed  in their local community to spread awareness.   That is terrific!  If you play my video you’ll see why (more than ever this year) I’ll need your help.  That’s right, if you’ve already played the video, you know a knee injury has forced me out of the Boston Marathon this year.  Even so, I can  run the marathon in spirit with my sister and continue to move forward with my national stroke awareness campaign.

Please play the video and read my attached campaign summary and stroke awareness update I have prepared here>  knowstrokedotorgprogressreport . I’ve also included a print version of my fundraising request form if you would prefer to mail in a donation here> 2010BostonMarathonPrintDonationForm.

You can also donate right now through our secure online donation link.  Donations to the American Stroke association are tax deductible.  You’ll see when you click the link, my wife and I have started off the donations  by showing our support for my sister Lori through a $150 dollar donation (or $50 each) to honor each of our three children.

Please help me continue to reach my stroke awareness goals and help my sister cross the finish line in Boston 2010

Click Here> DONATE NOW!

Corporate Donors can Cross the Boston Marathon finish line too!

In my next post later in the week I’ll update you on how  top corporate or individual donors can get their logo or brand visible and cross the finish line with my sister.  So, stay tuned and THANK YOU!

Best Regards,

David Dansereau

Know-Stroke.org

A new study published in the January issue of the journal Health Promotion Practice may indicate that stroke-related disability could be reduced by teaching children how to spot the signs of stroke in relatives and to call 911 immediately.

Emergency medical treatment within three hours of the first stroke symptoms can limit the extent of brain damage and lead to better recovery.

About the study:

The Kids Identifying and Defeating Stroke (KIDS) project included 515 sixth graders in Texas who were divided into two groups. The students in the intervention group were given four classes about stroke awareness each year during grades 6, 7 and 8.

“As part of the KIDS project, students were also given homework assignments that involved teaching their parents or other adult partners about the signs and symptoms of stroke and the need to call 911 right away if these signs are witnessed,” lead author Kathleen Conley, a professor of health education at Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti, said in a recent news release.

Assessing Stroke Knowledge:

A pretest about stroke knowledge/awareness was given before the study. Preliminary results from a follow-up test after the second year showed improvements in the intervention group students’ knowledge and their intent to call 911 when seeing someone suffering a stroke.

“We are very encouraged by the results and would like to see more investigation in the area of teaching children about recognizing stroke and motivating them to call 911 immediately,” Conley said.

[Personal Sidebar]

This study gives further evidence for the need for my national stroke awareness goal to produce and make available a stroke PSA video targeted to coaches/parents, educators involved with student athletes.

Here’s a summary of my stroke awareness goal :

The AHA/ASA* and/or NSA** should have a sports related coaches/parents training video (available nationwide) to target adults in contact with young student athletes to improve recognition of ALL the stroke warning signs. This video could easily be linked to every sports program in the state/nation as part of that programs sports website/coaches sign up/parent registration section.

Anyone with talent, time and the desire….Please help me do this.

If you can help please contact me now (401)632-0868

*American Heart Association/American Stroke Association

** National Stroke Association

Read Kathryn Tappen’s full article here on Tedy Bruschi posted today on NESN David Dansereau Stroke Survivor Member of Tedy’s Team http://www.know-stroke.org

The post references a video link to Tedy’s PR piece about the stroke warning signs, but the FDA still prohibits AGA Medical from mentioning the word PFO. Here’s the video, it is the same one that has been on AGA’s site except now you view it on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/user/TacklingStroke

Bottom Line:
We need to do more by getting out there and educating in our schools, so our teachers, coaches and youth know stroke warning signs. Tonight I’m at Lincoln Middle School doing just that. If you think I did A good job, post your comments here. If you think I can improve, I want to know more. If you want to help with my goals, I’ll take that too!!

Drop me a line, I don’t bite….

I mentioned in my last post I’d be following up with more information on the emerging technologies available to enhance stroke rehabilitation outcomes. Well, this post as you can tell from the title is not about stroke rehab directly, (although many stroke survivors might argue that sex would be the most enjoyable and welcomed component to any therapy plan of care).

Anyway, my point in including this post here is that it confirms my suspicion when you add those three little letters together to form the word “sex” it certainly pulls readers in to any headline and grabs attention.

The proof: I’ve never seen more bloggers post on any one single stroke related topic in a given week, than this past one, EVER.

Here’s only a few of the recent headlines:

“Holy ^@#~ ! “ A stroke from Sex

35yr Old Woman has Orgasm Related Stroke

When Sex Leads To Stroke

That’s enough- I think you get my point….

Unfortunately, the rise in attention recently for stroke awareness came at the expense of a 35-year old Illinois woman. She, too, at the time probably didn’t realize that sex with her boyfriend could trigger a life threatening stroke that temporarily left one side of her face numb, slurred speech and weakness in her left arm. While her physician treated her, it is reported he was puzzled to find that his patient did not “fit the profile of a typical stroke sufferer”. This stroke survivor is a young, healthy, non-smoking woman with no known cardiovascular risk factors.

Her doctor acted FAST…

Her physician found it too late to inject her with tPA, a clot-busting drug that must be administered within three hours of a stroke. In what was reported as a risky decision, he ran a catheter from an artery in the groin to her brain, applying tPA directly to the clot. Her symptoms improved almost immediately and within an hour she was out of danger and is reported to be well on her way to a full recovery.

Why did I add my first post on sex and stroke?

Well, I can assure you it was not to grab headlines, Sarah Palin is still leading that category these days. This unfortunate incident did remind me of a topic that wasn’t discussed much during the management of my PFO or during my own stroke rehab. Yes, sex. Is it safe when you have a PFO or other similar known heart defect?

So, to get to the answer (maybe) let’s look at what was the reason for the recent headline grabbing “stroke after sex” which perpetuated a blogging frenzy As a rule, sex and orgasm triggered strokes are rare in young men and women, though not unheard of. For such a stroke to occur in a relatively young person, experts still argue that it perhaps requires a combination of factors and events, not unusual in themselves, but extremely unlikely to occur at the same time. One variable that seems to be consistent in the cases that have been reported involving young people who (were brave enough to tell the truth) had suffered similar sex related strokes, is that they all had a small opening in the wall between the two upper chambers of the heart, as was in the case of this young Illinois woman. This minor heart defect or opening, called Patent Foramen Ovale (PFO), as you can read more about throughout my blog, is found by many reports to be seen as frequently as in one in four adults. Such an opening allows some blood to flow from the right to the left side of the heart, bypassing lungs only to go straight to the brain. As there are no symptoms, most people with PFO do not know they have this heart defect. It has been reported that 40% of people suffering a cryptogenic stroke ( i.e.) a stroke with no known cause, have been found to have PFO.

Is sex the culprit?

It is well reported that strain can cause increased blood flow through a PFO. For example, the strain of bearing down during a bowel movement, strain of breathing out of a shut mouth or holding a breath, and strain during sex, particularly during orgasm,. Experts will mostly agree strokes are not caused by PFO’s alone, there must be a small blood clot present, which must break free and enter the heart, then cross over and bypass the body’s normal “pulmonary filter” instead traveling through the PFO then up to the brain. Normally, the rule of thumb is that small blood clots stuck in the lungs dissolve, but a blood clot that passes through a PFO lodges itself in the brain and causes a stroke.

Again, with the Illinois woman serving as our own case study here, this young patient suffered a headline grabbing “sex-related stroke” because of her PFO. It was also reported she had a small blood clot in her leg, the possible side effect of oral contraceptives taken for birth control. Doctors generally still report that a vast majority of people with PFOs, often go through life without any problems, and while the risk of stroke during sex must be kept in perspective, the risk is low if you consider the chain of events needed and presented in this post. Fortunately, according to stroke experts, sexual intercourse, in itself, is not likely to trigger a stroke without accompanying risk factors.

So, now l can get back to writing and researching for my next post of emerging stroke technologies and hope to have that available soon. In the meantime, please use the recent sex and stroke buzz to be reminded that strokes occur all year long, just not during Stroke Awareness Month in May. In fact, here are the stats:

• 700,000 Americans suffer a stroke each year
• Approximately 160,000 die of stroke each year

The most common risk factors for stroke in young people are those linked to migraines, drug use, coagulation diseases, or athletic injuries that cause trauma or injury in the blood vessels, especially in the neck. Even with these risk factors, the chances of a young person suffering from stroke are extremely small but that is no reason to be ignorant of the warning signs. As I’ve been saying all along, there are young faces of stroke and you should know what they look like. Be prepared and get help fast. Know-Stroke!

As one stroke campaign says well, “Time Lost is Brain Lost”

Until next time-

Written by David Dansereau

Posted in Advocacy, Local Press, Stroke Awareness Tagged: cryptogenic stroke, David Dansereau, PFO, Sarah Palin, sex and stroke, tPA ]]> http://knowstrokeblog.my-physical-therapy-coach.com/2008/09/18/bloggers-abuzz-about-sex-and-stroke/feed/ 0 knowstroke Image Preview http://knowstrokeblog.my-physical-therapy-coach.com/2008/08/19/fight-for-seven/ http://knowstrokeblog.my-physical-therapy-coach.com/2008/08/19/fight-for-seven/#comments Tue, 19 Aug 2008 12:31:20 +0000 David http://knowstroke.wordpress.com/?p=64 ]]>

Here’s the latest update on young stroke survivor Jamie Coyle. According to the latest website post, Jamie had a good weekend and has made some great progress already. She is scheduled to begin rehabilitation at Spaulding Rehab in Boston this week. Follow this new link http://www.fightfor7.com/ to read about Jamie and see how you can help “Fight for Seven”.

For additional updates regarding Jamie, and any upcoming events planned, please visit http://www.RIGirlsHockey.com. A message center has been established so Jamie can stay in touch with her friends and family as she recovers. Please contact the coaches through this website if you would like to assist in any way.

http://rigirlshockey.com/

Jaime’s story in the Valley Breeze can be viewed here:
http://www.valleybreeze.com/Free/MAIN-8-14-ALL-Jaime-Coyle-stroke-victim
The Valley Breeze article was written by Paul Dubois-Sports Editor

http://www.beloblog.com/ProJo_Blogs/running/2008/07/stroke-survivor.html

Not Oprah yet, but perhaps this will help gain some more momentum:)

I was recently asked by a member of Tedy’s Team from the American Stroke Association to share my story with other team members. I am posting my reply to this request because I want to remind everyone why my stroke blog exists today as well as why it is so important that we all make the time to “Give a Little Bit” of ourselves, our energy, our resources, and our voices. Here’s my reply:

Thank you for your offer to share my story. I wanted to let you know that each time our group meets I get a chance to introduce myself to another member of Tedy’s Team and am inspired by their stories. Although this is only my second year involved with Tedy’s Team, I believe what you are doing to try to create a forum or real voice for stroke support is fantastic. I hope other members will be willing to share their “why” to help build on the knowledge of why we all meet and run together each year to raise funds for this important cause.

I had a stroke at age 39. I had no known risk factors, and other than dealing with unexplained migraine headaches, I was in good health. My stroke was caused by a PFO- a hole in my heart that was a hidden birth defect until it caused a clot to go to my brain. Just like Tedy Bruschi, I was not aware of this defect until it caused my stroke. I know I am blessed to be on my way to a full recovery and it continues to be my goal to help educate others who may also unknowingly be at risk. To learn more about how a PFO caused my stroke please read my story at: http://www.my-physical-therapy-coach.com/patent-foramen-ovale.html

Last year I completed my 1st Falmouth Road Race with Tedy’s Team as a sign to my real stroke hero,my wife Lisa, that “I am back” and I could not have survived without her unconditional love and support. I also wanted to show my children that daddy does indeed “feel better”! Finally, I also felt it was important to run as a gesture of thanks for the exceptional care I received at Mass. General Hospital and in support of “our quarterbacks” for the mission of Tedy’s Team, Tedy and Heidi Bruschi.

This year, I plan to run Falmouth in honor and support of all the stroke survivors that have contacted me through my website and by phone. I am running for Ray, Melissa, Jen, Regina, Sandy, Jeff, Vicky, Will and especially to the parents of a boy in RI who I recently learned lost their young son after he suffered a massive stroke from a previously undiagnosed PFO. Also for the other survivors I did not mention by name who contacted me by phone looking for answers or just to find the voice of someone who does know-stroke and is willing to give a little bit and share insight behind a diagnosis. Their stories are all too similar to mine, and I know now that my heart has been repaired I have a new determination to keep educating others. Just a short time ago, I walked in their shoes and had no one my age to speak to that had survived a stroke from this cause. Please read these stroke survivors stories or add your own here at my blog know-stroke.org

The completion of the road race this year also will reaffirm my long term goal to expand the educational campaign I refer to as Know-Stroke or as some of my friends are also referring to it as the “Countdown to Oprah” challenge to gain national awareness and raise more funds for stroke education and prevention. (If you read my full story at the link above you’ll learn
more about my “Oprah moment” and you’ll understand why I keep my story out there and why perhaps Zack probably still thinks I am crazy…) Anyway, my heart is decided on this challenge. It has been just over 1 year since my heart surgery, and I have been migraine free with a clear head for exactly that same time period.

As it turns out during my stroke season, I found out many physicians also need more training and awareness to screen for stroke, especially where it relates to this possible heart/brain/migraine connection. It is my goal to help raise awareness for stroke by advocating for research to develop a better understanding of this connection between the heart and brain and better education and awareness for screening tools for physicians,
coaches,and parents.

To that end, I have teamed up with Tedy’s Team and the Boston and Rhode Island affiliates of the American Heart/Stroke Associations to help raise awareness. There is a great need for better education and research because as you may already know this heart defect can be potentially devastating, especially for young stroke and migraine survivors that often get misdiagnosed or ignored due to age. This is why I run.

Thank you for your help and for allowing me a chance to share my story.

Best Regards,
David Dansereau
Stroke Survivor

If you would like to speak to me personally about donations, fundraising ideas, or ways you could help raise awareness in your own neighborhood please contact me directly at (401)632-0868 or donate here

ps-to my fellow Tedy’s Team members, please feel free to be the 1st to share your own story on my blog at the Tedy’s Team link