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Trump ousts Kristi Noem from DHS; Rural CA community colleges deploy AI to keep students on track; Algae-powered concrete earns University of Miami project top prize; As Ukraine war lingers, ND sponsors press for speedy work approvals.

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Kristi Noem is fired from her position as Homeland Security Secretary, but moves to a new and unclear role. The Senate Majority Leader blames Democrats for the ongoing DHS shutdown and the House fails to advance a war powers resolution for Iran.

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Advocates for those with disabilities in Idaho and nationwide are alarmed by proposed Medicaid cuts, programs that provide virtual crisis care are making inroads in rural South Dakota and Wyoming, and the mighty bison returns to Texas.

Tennesseans encouraged to act 'FAST' on World Stroke Day

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Friday, October 27, 2023   

In Tennessee and across the country, this Sunday is World Stroke Day. One out of four people worldwide will experience a stroke in his or her lifetime, according to the World Stroke Organization.

Neuurologist Dr. John Witt, medical director for stroke and neurosciences at Tristar Skyline Medical Center in Nashville, said stroke is the fifth leading cause of death and a leading cause of serious, long-term disability. He said everyone should learn the acronym "FAST" to recognize the symptoms and actions for stroke.

"'F' stands for face - in a stroke, often one side of the face will droop," he said. "'A' stands for arm. If one holds out both arms in front, the affected side may drift downwards. 'S' stands for speech - so, any change in speech. 'T' actually stands for time - time is of the essence in treating stroke."

Witt said it's time to call 9-1-1 if you notice any of those symptoms. He noted that some of the treatments for stroke have narrow time windows to be effective, so the person has to get to a hospital quickly.

The American Heart Association points out that every year, about 800,000 people will have strokes in the United States.

Witt said prevention includes recognizing the risk factors for stroke, and then taking action on those. The most important risk factor is high blood pressure, although he said there are certainly others.

"High cholesterol, diabetes, smoking - those are big ones - and certain heart conditions like atrial fibrillation," he said. "And then certain lifestyle factors, like exercise, sleep, obesity - those are things that also are risk factors for stroke."

Witt recommended working with your primary-care physician to try to reduce or eliminate these factors. According to the American Heart Association, most strokes could be prevented through education and such lifestyle changes as being more active, eating healthy foods, managing blood pressure and getting enough sleep.


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