• Stroke Awareness Month: Mayo Clinic Radio

According the National Institutes of Health, there are more than 800,000 strokes each year in the U.S. A stroke occurs when the blood supply to part of your brain is interrupted or severely reduced, depriving brain tissue of oxygen and nutrients. Within minutes, brain cells begin to die. Stroke, which is the fourth leading cause of death in the U.S., causes more serious long-term disabilities than any other disease. May is National Stroke Awareness Month, an effort to educate the public about stroke risk factors and the importance of acting quickly when a stroke occurs.

On the next Mayo Clinic Radio program, Dr. Robert Brown Jr., a neurologist and stroke expert, will discuss the warning signs of stroke and tips for stroke prevention. Also on the program, Dr. Timothy Curry, director of the Education Program for the Mayo Clinic Center for Individualized Medicine, will explain Mayo Clinic's efforts to educate patients and providers on how genetic information can improve health care. And Dr. Stephen Kopecky, a cardiologist, will discuss a new study that found gray hair can indicate cardiac risk.

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