Stroke Facts

Stroke Overview

Following heart disease and cancer, stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States and claims more than 157,000 lives a year.

A stroke occurs when the brain's blood supply is interrupted, causing a lack of oxygen supplied to the brain tissues. It also occurs when the brain is flooded with blood from a ruptured blood vessel or blood clot. Strokes can cause severe injuries and death. Stroke symptoms include memory loss, paralysis, loss of cognitive abilities and more.

Each year, about 700,000 strokes occur, which result in approximately 160,000 deaths. Ortho Evra has been linked to blood clot, stroke and other serious cardiovascular events because of the drug's significant estrogen exposure. If you or a loved one has suffered a stroke while using the Ortho Evra birth control patch, it may be in your best interest to contact an attorney to explore your legal rights. If you or someone you know is currently experiencing any of the symptoms listed above while using Ortho Evra, talk with a doctor immediately.

Stroke Prevention

The American Heart Association (AHA)/American Stroke Association (ASA) published a 2006 update of their guidelines on stroke prevention in the May 4 Rapid Access issue of Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association. The new report includes tips for identifying and modifying stroke risk factors.

It is true that the stroke death rate has declined by about 18.5% since 1993, yet the annual incidence of stroke, about 700,000 people yearly, has declined by less than 1%.

The report says that non-modifiable risk factors include family history, age, race/ethnicity and sex. The elderly, men, African Americans, and those people with family histories of strokes are more likely to have a stroke.

Low birth weight is also a potential non-modifiable risk factor, making adults born at 2500 g or less more than twice as likely to have a stroke than those born at less than 4000 g.

New Treatment for Strokes

During a stroke, a blood clot or bursting blood vessel causes a blockage of blood flow to the brain, depriving it of oxygen and nutrition and causing the affected part of the brain to die. Each second that a stroke goes untreated causes 32,000 brain cells to die (up to 2 million each minute). This can cause vision problems, paralysis, speech problems, behavior changes and memory loss.

Treatments are available to significantly reduce the damage caused by a stroke on the brain. Unfortunately many people do not get to the hospital early enough to receive these treatments. Tissue Plasminogen Activator (TPA) is a popular clot buster that must be given within three hours after a stroke occurs to be effective.

Several other stroke therapies have recently been added to the list:

Intra-Arterial Thrombolytic Therapy utilizes a catheter to go directly to the clot to administer a clot-buster drug; may be given up to six hours after a stroke.

A Clot Retrieval Device is now used to yank out a clot up to eight hours after a stroke.

A New Therapy that can be given up to nine hours after a stroke is in the clinical trial stage.

The important thing is for patients and loved ones to recognize the warning signs of a stroke and get to the hospital immediately to be treated. Sadly, only 3 to 5% of stroke victims in the U.S. reach the hospital in time to be considered for these treatments. Education is key to improving these numbers.

What Are Ischemic and Hemmorhaggic Strokes?

The strokes suffered by women using hormonal birth control with high estrogen exposure such as Ortho Evra are generally categorized as ischemic, meaning a blood clot prevents blood from reaching parts of the brain. Ischemic strokes are referred to as blockage strokes, while hemmorhaggic strokes are referred to as bleeding strokes. Hemmorhaggic strokes are not usually linked to birth control or estrogen exposure.

Genetic Risks Make Ortho Evra More Dangerous

Many doctors suggest that cardiovascular risks associated with Ortho Evra use may be much higher in women who have certain genetic traits, such as an imbalance of clotting factors or proteins found in human blood. Factor V Leiden mutations are one such imbalance that affect 2 to 5% of the U.S. population. A Protein C or S deficiency could also significantly increase the risk of clotting while using Ortho Evra.