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About the Program | Patient Information
About the Program
The Stroke PROTECT Program is a new stroke prevention initiative of the Colorado Neurological Institute and Swedish Medical Center. Stroke PROTECT is sponsored by the Cancer, Cardiovascular Disease and Pulmonary Disease Grants Program at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. Stroke PROTECT stands for Preventing Recurrence of Thromboembolic Events through Coordinated Treatment, and is based on a similar, successful project conducted at the UCLA
Stroke Center.
The objective of Stroke PROTECT is to help patients optimally manage their
individual stroke risk factors. Through frequent follow up, education and coaching
we aim to facilitate long-lasting lifestyle changes, and ultimately prevent
the incidence of recurrent strokes in the PROTECT participant population.
Stroke PROTECT is built upon the evidence that up to 80% of strokes can be
prevented. The risk of having another, or recurrent, stroke within one
year of the initial event is estimated to be between 5-14%. Within 5
years recurrent stroke can happen in as many as 24% of women and 42% of men*.
The
good news
is that
recurrent stroke can be drastically reduced by following a doctor's orders
concerning medications and making lifestyle changes (i.e. stopping smoking,
eating a low-fat, low-salt diet, incorporating exercise into your daily routine).
Stroke PROTECT has 7 key areas of focus:
Appropriate stroke risk-reducing medications will be introduced at Swedish
Hospital during the hospital stay of ischemic stroke or transient ischemic
attack (TIA) patients.
The PROTECT team will systematically follow up with all eligible participants
for one year after their hospital discharge to discuss stroke prevention methods
and ways that they can manage their individual stroke risk factors. Participants
will also be encouraged to make follow up appointments with their primary care
physicians to monitor blood pressure, cholesterol and medication effectiveness.
Stroke PROTECT will host monthly educational sessions to supplement the information
that is shared during regular phone communication.
Stroke PROTECT is currently a pilot program and not all stroke patients will
be invited to participate. However, there is ample information available about
stroke
prevention
on
the CNI website, by visiting our Stroke
Links Page, and by reading the stroke recovery handbook, Life After
a Stroke,
provided to every Swedish Hospital stroke patient. It is estimated that up
to 80% of strokes are preventable, so talk to your family doctor about stroke
risk factors and what you can do to prevent
a stroke
or
TIA.
If you think that you are experiencing a
stroke or TIA – call 911 immediately!
* Source: National Stroke Association
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