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Edward C. Jauch, MD, MS, FACEP, FAHA

Professor and Chair,
Department of Emergency Medicine, and Professor, Department of Neurosciences
Medical University of South Carolina
Charleston, SC

Dr. Jauch is Professor and Director, Division of Emergency Medicine, Department of Medicine, Associate Vice Chair for Research in the Department of Medicine, Professor in the Department of Neurosciences, faculty on the MUSC Comprehensive Stroke Program and Director of Acute Stroke Trials at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), and adjunct Professor of Bioengineering, Clemson University.

Prior to medicine, Dr. Jauch completed graduate training in bioengineering at Cornell University and was a faculty member in the Orthopedic Surgery Departments at the University of Kansas and the University of Cincinnati. Dr. Jauch completed medical school and emergency medicine residency at the University of Cincinnati, after which he joined the faculty in the Department of Emergency Medicine and the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Stroke team at the University of Cincinnati in 1997. Dr. Jauch was
recruited to MUSC in 2008 to help develop the Residency Program in Emergency Medicine, assist in the creation of the Comprehensive Stroke Center at MUSC, help establish MUSC's REACH Telemedicine Program (a state-wide acute stroke telemedicine network to improve rapid diagnosis and treatment), and co-direct the development of a state-wide stroke system of care through the South Carolina Department of Health.

Dr. Jauch is well known in the field of acute stroke research, leading or participating in numerous Phase II and III clinical stroke trials over the past 16 years. These studies have led to new approaches to managing patients with acute ischemic stroke and other forms of neurologic emergencies. He has over 140 publications, mostly in the area of neurologic emergencies. More recently, Dr. Jauch was awarded a pilot grant from MUSC's NIH Clinical and Translational Science Award to explore barriers, facilitators, and recommended intervention strategies to improve access to stroke care in a southern rural community, using a community-based participatory research approach. Dr. Jauch also serves as the PI for the SC-CoAST network hub of the new NIH StrokeNet network. Dr. Jauch has served on numerous NIH committees related to developing research in emergency medicine and developing research networks for neurologic emergencies.

Dr. Jauch is active in numerous national organizations. Dr. Jauch serves as the immediate past Chair of Stroke Council for the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association (AHA/ASA) and primary author for the new Acute Ischemic Stroke guidelines. He is a coauthor on the flagship AHA/ASA guidelines for telemedicine use in stroke, primary prevention of stroke, prehospital care of stroke, and stroke systems of care. Dr. Jauch has guided the creation of numerous educational programs for the AHA/ASA and works nationally and regionally in advocating for improved stroke care and access to stroke care for all Americans. Dr. Jauch has served in several leadership roles for the American College of Emergency Physicians, the South Carolina College of Emergency Physicians and the Emergency Medicine Foundation. Dr. Jauch also serves on several national committees related to stroke care, including the Joint Commission Technical Advisory Committees on Comprehensive Stroke Centers and Primary Stroke Centers. Collectively these efforts have strived to improve access to care, increasing the quality of acute stroke care, and educating both the general public and healthcare professionals on developing delivery systems for optimal stroke management.

Full Bio
suffering from dizziness a symptom of stroke
iStock.com/Tunatura

Q:

I've always thought that stroke was only a health issue for old people. I'm in my mid-40s. Should I be concerned about my risk?

A:

Stroke happens when a blood clot blocks blood supply to the brain or when a blood vessel in the brain bursts. When blood supply, and consequently oxygen, to the brain is interrupted, part of the brain can die.

Stroke is an important health concern for all women, not least of all because strokes experienced by women tend to be of greater severity than those experienced by men. It is true that the older you are, the more at risk you are to experience a stroke. However, stroke can happen at any age. Unfortunately, most women are unfamiliar with the key risk factors for stroke and may underestimate their level of risk.

Common risk factors include a family history of stroke, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, diabetes, smoking, obesity, poor diet and lack of exercise. For women under 55 years of age, there are some additional risk factors that must be kept in mind, including migraines, birth control pill use, hormone replacement therapy, autoimmune disorders like type 1 diabetes and lupus, and increased abdominal weight. Women are also at an increased risk during pregnancy.

It is important for women of all ages to be familiar with the warning signs of a stroke and to know what to do if they experience stroke-like symptoms. These warning signs include numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body; confusion, trouble speaking or understanding others; trouble seeing in one or both eyes; dizziness, loss of coordination or balance, or trouble walking; and severe headache. Stroke symptoms typically come on suddenly with no obvious cause.If you experience any of these symptoms, you should call 9-1-1 immediately. Treatments may be available if an ischemic stroke (a stroke characterized by lack of blood flow to the brain) is suspected.

This content was produced with the support of a grant by Genentech.

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