Actor Luke Perry’s death at 52 is a reminder to know your risk for stroke
The death of “Beverly Hills 90210” heartthrob Luke Perry after suffering a stroke at the relatively young age of 52 can be a wakeup call for you to understand your own risks, no matter your age.
Celebrity news website TMZ reported last week that Perry was hospitalized after suffering a stroke, leading to an outpouring of fans and former co-stars. The “Riverdale” star died on Monday, according to The Associated Press.
“Whenever a celebrity has a stroke, it can remind us to look into our own family histories,” says Dr. Demetrius Lopes, co-director of the Stroke Program and medical director of the Cerebrovascular & Neuroendovascular Program at the Advocate Brain & Spine Institute. “Do you have a high risk for heart attack or stroke in your families?”
“You want to be able to catch this before it surprises you,” Dr. Lopes said.
Dr. Lopes said you should know your key health numbers and try to lower your risk of having a stroke. Try to manage your cholesterol and your waistline, and don’t smoke. Try to keep your blood pressure in a healthy range and keep your blood sugar levels from getting too high.
And to know if you or someone you know is having a stroke, remember to BE FAST:
Balance: Are you losing coordination?
Eyes: Are you having trouble seeing?
Face: Is one side of your face drooping?
Arms: If you lift up your arms, is one lower than the other?
Speech: Is your speech slurred?
Time: If you have the symptoms, time is critical. Call for help immediately.
Up to 80 percent of strokes are preventable, and many of the risk factors are controllable. Take our Stroke Risk Assessment to estimate your chance of experiencing one.
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About the Author
Mike Riopell, health enews contributor, is a media relations coordinator with Advocate Health Care and Aurora Health Care. He previously worked as a reporter and editor covering politics and government for the Chicago Tribune, Daily Herald and Bloomington Pantagraph, among others. He enjoys bicycles, home repair, flannel shirts and being outside.
It’s Beverly Hills 90210 and not “Beverly Hills 90201”.
Clearly a typo and not anywhere close to the point. Shame on you
This news hit very close to home. So sad. I had a stroke this past summer, age 57, I was not sure what was happening at the time. My left side went numb momentarily but I regained strength and could walk. I did not have any facial symptoms or slurring, which is why I wasn’t sure. I kept thinking at the time about the stroke training with safety training I’ve done many times throughout my years at Aurora…”Time is of the Essence” I kept thinking. Despite this going through my mind, I did NOT call 911. I did finally go to the ER at Aurora Burlington Medical Center within about 2 hours time of the initial symptoms. From there, I was transferred to St. Luke’s where I was extremely impressed with the care I received there. Their stroke protocol ran like a well-oiled machine. I did find out later that because of where my stroke was located in the basal ganglia, I did not have the facial symptoms. I will be forever grateful for the team at Aurora Burlington an St. Lukes as well as therapy received post stroke at Aurora Southern Lakes. Only residual for me is what I call “funkiness” in left hand. Anyways, wanted to share my story and my gratitude.
Danny Farquar was reported to have had an aneurysm not a stroke. It is my understanding that there are some differences between the two. (How the present etc. )