Oct 12, 2009 9:35 am US/Eastern
Go! New York: Detecting Signs Of Stroke
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
Heart disease is the number one killer of women in the United States.
Almost a million women will die from the disease every year. Even with those staggering statistics, most women don't think it will happen to them.
Dina Pagnotta was just 31-years-old when she had a stroke.
"It was devastating at 30. I'm very active. I had none of the warning signs of stroke," Pagnotta told CBS 2's Kate Sullivan.
It turns out, though extremely active and seemingly healthy woman, Dina had an unknown heart condition.
"I have a congenital heart defect...a clot broke off and travelled to my brain," she added.
Dina is one of the 80 million Amerians affected every year by heart disease.
She has now made it her mission to try and the get the word out about what you need to know about heart disease, and she's now working with the American Heart Association.
The first thing to know are the signs of stroke and secondly, knowing that time makes all the difference.
"The most important thing is time," said Pagnotta. "Brain equals time. The quicker you get to the hospital the less oxygen you will lose to your brain."
Signs of stroke include numbness, tingling, slurred speech and a really bad headache. Doctors say to never ignore these signs.
What you eat, and how much you exercise is crucial to good heart health. For Dina, that cannot be overstressed.
"I was always healthy, but it's made me even more healthy," she added. "It made me realize we're not invincible."
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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