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Each year, 130,000 Americans die from a stroke, or brain attack, making it the number five top cause of death in the U.S.  A stroke occurs when an artery in the brain becomes blocked or bursts, killing precious brain cells in each second.

“In stroke care, where ‘time is brain,’ and every second counts, St. Luke’s can provide expert care for the entire range of strokes as quickly as possible, increasing our patients’ chance for survival,” says Daniel Ackerman, MD, Director of Stroke and Vascular Neurology at St. Luke’s. 

Who is at risk?  

The following raise your risk for having a stroke: 

Smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, sleep apnea, obesity, uncontrolled atrial fibrillation (abnormal heartbeat), vascular disease or having already had a stroke. Reducing or managing any of these factors can help lower your chances of suffering a stroke. 

What are the signs of a stroke? 

To learn the signs of a stroke, click here.

Super stroke care

St. Luke’s is the area’s leading provider of stroke care. We are a Comprehensive Stroke Center, only one of 163 hospitals nationwide---11 in Pennsylvania—offering the most advanced level of care. 

St. Luke’s University Health Network uses the advanced imaging software iSchemaView RAPID to map damaged brain tissue to help choose treatment options. Our patients receive the most effective stroke therapies, including clot-busting medications and procedures to remove a blockage of a blood vessel in the brain. The network supports an emergency response team to manage and support stroke patients. Stroke specialists are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. 

St. Luke’s University Hospital-Bethlehem and St. Luke’s Warren Campus are recognized for stroke care with the top designation by the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s “Get with the Guidelines Stroke Gold Plus & Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite Plus Award. This award honors St. Luke’s commitment to providing the most appropriate stroke treatment according to nationally recognized research-based guidelines. 

St. Luke’s recently began providing its life-saving stroke care to patients at Easton Hospital and Grand View Hospital, extending access to its expertise far into Northampton and Bucks counties.