Congressional legislation introduced today would improve the quality of stroke care for patients across the country. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), along with ten senators, introduced the Stroke Act, which would support stroke care research, establish a national stroke registry, strengthen systems of care, improve access to rehabilitation and recovery services and expand public education and prevention efforts.
The American Heart Association, a relentless force changing the future of health for everyone everywhere, and the American Stroke Association, a division of the American Heart Association, urge Congress to quickly advance the legislation, which would help improve outcomes for people affected by stroke nationwide. The Stroke Act is cosponsored by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Senators Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.).
"This legislation would increase our understanding of stroke care, improve the quality of stroke treatment delivered to communities nationwide and ultimately save lives," said Nancy Brown, CEO of the American Heart Association. "Someone dies of a stroke every 3 minutes and 14 seconds in the United States, yet many strokes can be prevented, and recognizing the warning signs can help save lives. We thank Sen. Luján for turning his personal experience with stroke into action by championing this legislation."
Each year, nearly 800,000 people in the United States experience a stroke, making stroke the fourth-leading cause of death in the nation. The Stroke Act would support research to improve stroke care delivery, identify gaps in prevention and treatment, establish a national stroke registry and strengthen coordination across the continuum of care — from emergency response through rehabilitation and recovery. The legislation authorizes federal investments in research, data collection, systems improvement and public education to help ensure more patients receive timely, evidence-based care.
The legislation also would strengthen systems of stroke care and encourage the adoption of best practices to improve patient outcomes. The American Heart Association advocates for policies that help ensure people experiencing a stroke receive the right care at the right time and in the right setting. The bill would support training for emergency medical personnel and health care providers, improve care coordination after stroke and expand the use of tele-stroke technologies that connect patients to specialized stroke expertise regardless of geography. The legislation also seeks to build on existing infrastructure by requiring the national stroke registry to leverage established systems rather than create a duplicative new reporting framework. This approach aligns closely with the American Heart Association's Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke quality improvement program, which collects standardized stroke care and outcomes data, supports quality improvement and benchmarking and engages a broad network of stroke centers and hospitals nationwide.
A stroke can happen to anyone, at any age, and recognizing the warning signs quickly can help people take action in moments that matter. The Stroke Act would establish funding for national public education and awareness campaigns to increase understanding of stroke prevention, risk factors and symptoms. The American Stroke Association encourages everyone to know the warning signs of stroke using B.E. F.A.S.T. — Balance loss, Eyes or vision changes, Face drooping, Arm weakness or Speech difficulty. If any of these signs appear suddenly, it's Time to call 911 immediately.
For Spanish-speaking communities, the Stroke Association also promotes R.Á.P.I.D.O., a culturally relevant stroke warning signs resource. The Stroke Association also launched DerrameCerebral.org, a Spanish-language website that provides stroke prevention, treatment and recovery resources specifically tailored to Hispanic and Latino communities.
Additional resources
- American Stroke Association website
- American Heart Association resource: Get With The Guidelines®
- Stroke resources in Spanish
- American Heart Association resource: B.E. F.A.S.T. Warning Signs
- American Stroke Association resource: Let's talk about: Hispanic and Latino Americans and Stroke
- Research article: Stroke Risk Factor Status and Use of Stroke Prevention Medications Among Hispanic/Latino Adults in HCHS/SOL
