Stroke: A Life Changing EventIntroductionAccording to the American Stroke Association, one person dies every four minutes from a stroke (American Stroke Association, 2014 ). This can be devastating for the loved ones who survive the victim. Surviving a stroke requires a tremendous amount of therapy and willpower to overcome the disabilities and challenges that arise after a stroke. The main reason I chose to write about stroke is because I lost two important people in my life to stroke complications. . My paternal grandmother being the first to suffer a thromboembolic stroke during mitral valve replacement surgery, and the other being my maternal great grandmother who suffered an ischemic stroke . Both of these strong women had major deficits, including the inability to walk, feed themselves, and, in the case of my paternal grandmother, breathe independently without the use of a respirator.MortalityUnfortunately, Oklahoma does not is not doing well when it comes to strokes in its population. . According to the American Heart Association (AHA), 1,980 people died from stroke in 2010 in Oklahoma, making it the fifth leading cause of death in Oklahoma (AHA, 2013). There are many reasons why Oklahoma has such a high risk of stroke. Our population likes to smoke, eat a high-fat diet and be sedentary. These three elements combined make a deadly combination. Chemicals in cigarettes cause severe hardening of the arteries, which increases blood pressure and increases the risk of stroke. When it comes to those fried foods we all love, there's excess cholesterol that clogs our arteries, making it harder for blood to reach vital organs. Finally, when our bodies... middle of paper ... stop smoking and the third is to protect all Oklahomans from exposure to second-hand smoke. (p. 13)In conclusion, strokes radically change the life of not only the person but their entire family. Stroke remains one of the most common causes of death for an Oklahoma resident. There are many things Oklahomans can do to avoid suffering a stroke, but they require great determination to overcome. Risk factors include smoking, a high-fat diet, and a sedentary lifestyle are all modifiable risk factors. An important demographic in Oklahoma is the number of women. Unfortunately, they are at a higher risk of dying from a stroke than men. Healthy People 2020 set goals to reduce the number of people using tobacco products to improve the health of the United States. So I leave you with this, don't smoke, exercise daily and avoid fast food..