Bayer, the maker of Bayer® Aspirin, Supports American Stroke Association's Together to End Stroke™ Initiative to Raise Awareness of Secondary Prevention of Stroke

Women have a higher lifetime risk of stroke than men

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May 12, 2017, 14:52 ET

WHIPPANY, N.J., May 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- May is often recognized as a time to honor Mother's Day by celebrating the important women in your life. But did you know that May is also American Stroke Month, and women, those same moms, grandmothers and daughters have a higher lifetime risk of stroke than men?

Stroke remains the number two cause of death in the world, and secondary strokes often have a higher rate of death and disability, as parts of the brain injured by the original stroke may lack resiliency.

So beginning this year, Bayer wants to shed light on this often-time preventable disease that affects women, by becoming a proud national sponsor of the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association's (AHA/ASA) Together to End Stroke™ initiative.

"80 percent of secondary ischemic (clot-related) strokes can be prevented, though stroke survivors may feel there isn't anything more they can do," said Andre Schmidt, M.D., Vice President, US Medical Affairs, Bayer Consumer Health division. "At Bayer, we are dedicated to spreading the word that there are five steps stroke survivors can take to help reduce their risk, which includes talking to your doctor about an aspirin regimen. We feel privileged to be able to support the ASA's Together to End Stroke initiative to continue to reduce the risk by raising awareness this month."

If you've had an ischemic (clot-related) stroke, you may be at risk for another one. You can work with your doctor to reduce risk of another stroke with the five steps:

Get & Stay Active: Under your doctor's supervision, exercise may be good for your heart and circulation.
Eat Healthy: Talking to your doctor about healthy eating choices can be another powerful step starting right now, such as lowering your sodium intake.
Control Your Cholesterol: If your doctor has prescribed a statin (medicine for lowering your cholesterol), taking it as directed is an important part of maintaining your health.
Control Your Blood Pressure: Lowering your blood pressure lowers the risk of another ischemic (clot-related) stroke, so take your prescribed blood pressure medicine as directed by your doctor.
Ask Your Doctor About an Aspirin Regimen: Adding aspirin to your routine may be an important step to help prevent another ischemic (clot-related) stroke.

Aspirin is not appropriate for everyone, so be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin an aspirin regimen.

To learn more about aspirin and secondary stroke prevention visit wonderdrug.com.

Results from a recent AHA/ASA survey found that 1 in 3 adults experienced a symptom consistent with a warning or "mini" stroke, yet few – only 3% – took the recommended action. 35% of respondents reported having experienced at least one sign of a warning stroke, called a transient ischemic attack or TIA. Those who did were more likely to wait, rest or take medicine than call 911. Dr. Mitch Elkind, Chair of the American Stroke Association says, "For millions of people who have experienced a TIA or a stroke, there are steps to take to reduce the risk of another stroke event, which may have more serious consequences."

If you think you or your loved one is experiencing a stroke, the ASA teaches the acronym F.A.S.T. to help people remember the most common stroke warning signs and what action to take. F.A.S.T. stands for:

Face drooping or numbness on one side.
Arm weakness with inability to hold both arms overhead.
Speech difficulty or inability to repeat simple sentence.
Time to call 911.

To learn more about stroke, visit strokeassociation.org.

Bayer: Science For A Better Life

Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the Life Science fields of health care and agriculture. Its products and services are designed to benefit people and improve their quality of life. At the same time, the Group aims to create value through innovation, growth and high earning power. Bayer is committed to the principles of sustainable development and to its social and ethical responsibilities as a corporate citizen. In fiscal 2016, the Group employed around 115,200 people and had sales of EUR 46.8 billion. Capital expenditures amounted to EUR 2.6 billion, R&D expenses to EUR 4.7 billion. These figures include those for the high-tech polymers business, which was floated on the stock market as an independent company named Covestro on October 6, 2015. For more information, go to www.bayer.us.

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SOURCE Bayer