<b>By CINDY LADAGE<br>
Illinois Correspondent</b> </p><p>

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — February is Heart Month, and farmers and other agricultural workers can look to medical experts to see what is new and different, and how they can improve their heart health.
According to Dr. Kathleen Bottum of the Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, in recent years the American Heart Assoc. (AHA) has expanded its research dollars to include strokes – adding the division of the American Stroke Assoc., as well.<br>
“In the last five to 10 years, the AHA has also added emphasis on strokes,” Bottum said.<br>
While great strides have been made in cardiac treatment and care, she said research and improvement for those suffering from strokes has lagged behind.<br>
“People at risk for heart attacks are also at risk for brain damage from strokes, which lessen the quality of life,” she said. “Brain health and heart health are associated.”<br>
Lifestyle preparation to reduce the risk of a heart attack and a stroke are the same: control blood pressure, don’t smoke, exercise and know one’s own cholesterol numbers.<br>
“Strokes are the number-three killer, but are number one for disability.” Bottum said. “The AHA is trying to get out the message of the urgency of a brain attack. Symptoms for a stroke include one-sided weakness, difficult speech, one-sided tingling or numbness.<br>
“Pay attention to symptoms. The biggest problem is that patients don’t pay attention, and don’t seek medical assistance.”<br>
Farmers working out-of-doors often take aches and pains in stride, but in the case of stroke symptoms closer attention is needed, especially when it involves talking – even if people are often embarrassed by speech difficulty.<br>
“When it affects the mind or speech, patients are often afraid of Alzheimer’s, but Alzheimer’s doesn’t come on all at once like a stroke,” Bottum explained. “If you have sudden problems communicating in English, or sudden problems understanding speech, this is a sign, along with unexplained slurred speech.”<br>
Farmers who become stroke sufferers may wait for several hours before seeking medical help, thinking symptoms will just go away. This is not the proper action to take because time is truly of the essence.<br>
“Treatment in the first three hours can be provided, in most cases,” Bottum said.  “We have blood-thinning and clot-busting drugs that can reduce or even eliminate the effects of stroke for most patients, if given in the first three hours.”<br>
If a person suffers symptoms and they go away in an hour or so, they should not delay making an appointment to see a physician. This could be a TIA, or mini-stroke, which can be a warning for an oncoming larger and longer stroke. The patient needs a thorough evaluation to reduce risk factors for strokes.<br>
For those who wake from sleep and find they suffered a stroke but don’t know how long symptoms have lasted, it is difficult to get help within the crucial three-hour time window. Current research does not have many answers for those who suffer from strokes; patients are often left disabled and with a lessened quality of life.
Bottum is embarking on a new research project to help protect those recently exposed to stroke.<br>
“I am looking at a group of neurons that are part of the brain that seems to resist damage from strokes,” she said. “This was discovered, coincidentally, while studying Circadian rhythms.
“This study focuses on a region of the brain (the SCN) which is relatively protected against the neurochemicals known to be involved in the damage induced by stroke. We will look at why the SCN is protected, with the goal of being able to replicate this protection in regions of the brain that are naturally more vulnerable to stroke.<br>
“Ultimately, knowledge gained from this study may contribute to the development of new therapeutics targeted at the cellular damage caused by stroke,” she said.<br>
This research may be life-changing for those who work outdoors and may not realize they are suffering from stroke symptoms quickly enough.<br>
Through the efforts of physicians such as Bottum, the hope is that strokes will become a manageable medical problem. She emphasized this takes time and funding.<br>
“I cannot say enough about the work of the American Heart Association, both in public education and in research funding. They provide critical support for young researchers becoming established in the field,” she said.<br>
“Through research and the work of the American Heart Assoc., we have made great progress with heart disease and reduced morbidity. With the new emphasis on stroke, we should be able to reduce stroke impact and increase the quality of patient’s lives.”