Eighty percent of strokes are preventable. May is American Stroke Month and according to the American Stroke Association, high blood pressure correlates to a higher risk of stroke. Normal blood pressure should be below 120/80, yet nearly one in six American adults with high blood pressure are not aware of it.

A stroke happens when a clot or rupture interrupts blood flow to the brain. Without oxygen-rich blood, brain cells die.

To reduce your risk of stroke, have your blood pressure checked regularly and keep it below 120/80. At age 50, people without high blood pressure have a five year longer life expectancy than people with high blood pressure.

With May being American Stroke Month, Odessa Regional Medical Center (ORMC) wants to remind you to have your blood pressure checked regularly to help prevent a stroke from happening to you.

Information and statistics in this release are provided by the American Stroke Association.