Heart & Stroke Foundation Celebrates 10th Anniversary of FAST Campaign

New data suggests a campaign encouraging Canadians to better understand the signs and symptoms of stroke could help save lives.

The Heart & Stroke Foundation of Canada is celebrating the 10th anniversary of its FAST campaign, which stands for Face, Arms, Speech, Time.

• debtAce – Are you drooling?
• arms – Can you increase both?
• Sspeech – Is your speech slurred or incoherent?
• TI'm going to call 9-1-1 right away.

Heart & Stroke says recognising the signs of a stroke and acting quickly can mean the difference between life and death, or the difference between a faster recovery and permanent disability.

According to research funded by the nonprofit, approximately 108,707 strokes occur in Canada each year, with about 9,000 of those occurring in Alberta.

The organization says that although the number of stroke cases in Canada continues to rise due to an ageing population, awareness of stroke has increased significantly since the campaign began.

More awareness needed

Despite improvements over the past decade, Heart & Stroke says not enough Canadians recognise the signs of FAST and know to call 911 immediately if they witness someone having a stroke.

Across Canada, only three in 10 (32%) know at least one sign of a stroke, and only 44% can name at least two signs.

In Alberta, 45% of respondents to a heart and stroke survey could name two signs, yet 28% did not recognize any stroke symptoms at all.

“Of course we can do more and do better, but this campaign is getting more Albertans to know what to do in an emergency,” said Jennifer Michaud, director of health policy and systems at Alberta Heart & Stroke.

“This campaign is so important and when it comes to stroke, time is of the essence.

“You need to seek help as soon as possible. When you have a stroke, brain cells are damaged at an alarming rate due to a blockage of blood flow or bleeding in the brain.”

Calgary couple shares their story

Jennifer and Mike Tough. (Provided) Back in 2021, time was of the essence for Calgary couple Jennifer and Mike Taff.

Jennifer suffered a stroke at age 46. She had suffered a headache the day before, which was common given her history of migraines.

She began to feel better and decided to take a nap, but her husband, Mike, immediately noticed some warning signs that he had recognized from the FAST magnet he had seen earlier.

“I knew something was wrong until an hour after she laid down,” he said.

“He was showing all the signs of a stroke. I asked him to lift his arm and he couldn't. He couldn't speak properly or move his eyebrows so I called 911 right away.”

“Stroke can happen to anyone, so I think it’s really important that everyone understands what FAST means.

“This is not just a health issue for seniors, so don't be afraid to take action. If you think something is wrong, call 911. Time is of the essence.”

Jennifer was grateful that her husband acted quickly and got her treated for a carotid artery dissection.

Despite the bleak prognosis, she has regained her mobility, albeit with a slight limp, and her vision problems are showing signs of improvement.

“Having my husband there that day meant everything to me. He is the most important person to me ever,” Jennifer said through tears.

“I know I'm getting better and if anyone else who's had a stroke and is feeling down is struggling I want them to know how important it is to make a difference every day.”

“Every day it gets more and more positive. You have to stay positive.”

Alberta to invest $500,000 in FAST

The Alberta government has announced $500,000 in funding to Heart & Stroke to launch the FAST campaign in the province.

“This campaign will help raise awareness of stroke and its early warning signs so Albertans can get the care they need, when and where they need it,” said Alberta Health Minister Adriana LaGrange.

Dr. Michael Hill, a stroke neurologist at the University of Calgary and the Foothills Medical Centre, says the most common risk factors for stroke are high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes and lack of exercise.

“The most common heart disease that causes stroke is a heart rhythm problem called atrial fibrillation,” Hill added.

“These are the most common rhythm abnormalities that occur with aging, anywhere in the world, so it's important to be aware of them.”

Hill noted that a stroke occurs when one area of ​​the brain suddenly loses function, causing problems with blood flow and bleeding that can lead to permanent damage.

“There are two types of strokes. One occurs when an artery becomes clogged, so the arteries in the neck that lead to the brain, or the arteries in the brain itself that supply that part of the brain, don't get enough blood and start to fail,” Hill said.

“The other type is hemorrhagic stroke, or bleeding stroke, where there is bleeding within the skull and that blood irritates the brain and causes damage. This is less common, the ratio is about six to one. So 85 percent of all strokes are ischemic and about 15 percent are hemorrhagic.”

Heart & Stroke has made significant contributions to advances in stroke care through funding research, raising awareness, driving change across the national stroke care system and advocating for improved health policy.

For more information, visit the Heart and Stroke Foundation Website