Stroke in people Kris Letang's age, condition not as rare as one might think, experts say

Medical experts Wednesday were not surprised to hear the details of Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang’s stroke, saying it might even be considered commonplace for people built as he is.

Dr. M. Shazam Hussain, a board- certified neurologist and the director of Cleveland Clinic’s Cerebrovascular Center, estimates one in every five people you pass on the street suffer from patent foramen ovale (PFO), which is a hole between the left and right upper chambers of the heart. Letang has such a hole in the wall of his heart.

Those heart conditions — especially in athletes, who push themselves physically — can be as much a factor for blood clotting in the brain as high blood pressure or diabetes.

“The physical strain of constant physical activity can stress the heart,” Hussain told the Tribune-Review. “And there is some speculation that it can even predispose someone to have more of a risk of stroke.”

If caught quickly, though, the impact of blood clotting in the brain can be thwarted. One treatment even might reverse the effects.

Dr. Cathleen Adams, a neuro-hospitalist for the Excela Health system in Western Pennsylvania, touted tissue plasminogen activators — or tPA — which have been FDA-approved for treatment of acute ischemic stroke within three to four hours of symptoms’ onset.

“We’ve come a long way with treatment,” Adams said. “Now, within four, four-and-a-half hours of stroke symptoms, we can give you medicine for blood clots. You wouldn’t do that as recently as 20, 30 years ago.”

Every year, more than 795,000 Americans have a stroke, and, like Letang, about 185,000 strokes — nearly 1 in 4 — are in people who have had a previous stroke, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The assumption strokes only kill or harm the elderly? Incorrect.

Hussain estimates 20% of strokes affect those younger than 55. He said roughly 40% of his stroke patients are under 55.

“Unfortunately, we do see stroke in young people,” Hussain said. “Traditionally, it’s been thought to be a disease of older people. But it can happen at any time in life.”

There’s also a range to the prognosis of someone facing stroke symptoms, Adams said.

“Every stroke is different,” she said. “You can have everything from silent strokes, where you don’t feel anything at all, or you can be pretty disabled.”

What should you look out for if you suspect someone is experiencing a stroke? Adams said to remember the acronym “BE FAST.”

The B is for balance and coordination, which a stroke can affect. The E, F and A are for eyesight, which can get blurry; facial drooping; and arm weakness. The S is speech, which typically becomes slurred during a stroke. And the T is for time — it’s important to seek treatment at a hospital quickly if you suspect a stroke.

Timing is essential, Hussain said. He estimated the average stroke patient loses 2 million brain cells every minute during a stroke.

“It’s really a time-sensitive situation,” he said. “Now, we have great ways to treat stroke.”