Abrazo Health is offering free StrokeCheck events  in May to raise  awareness about stroke  risk factors, symptoms and treatments.

Stroke is the Number 4 cause of death in the United States, killing nearly 129,000 people a year. Someone in the U.S. has a stroke once every 40 seconds, according to the American Stroke Association.

Abrazo Health is teaming up with the American Heart Association and the American Stroke Association to provide community education and health screenings including glucose checks. The schedule is:

• May 6: 7-11 a.m., West Valley Hospital, 13677 W. McDowell Road, Goodyear.

• May 8: 8 a.m. to noon, Paradise Valley Hospital, 3929 E. Bell Road, Phoenix.

• May 12: 8 a.m. to noon, Arizona Heart Hospital, 1930 E. Thomas Road, Phoenix.

• May 15: 8 a.m. to noon, Arrowhead Hospital, 18699 N. 67th Ave., Glendale.

• May 20: 8 a.m. to noon, Maryvale Hospital: 5102 W. Campbell Ave., Phoenix.

• May 22: 8 a.m. to noon, North Peoria Emergency Center, 26900 N. Lake Pleasant Parkway, Peoria.

• May 28: 8 a.m. to noon, Phoenix Baptist Hospital, 2000 W. Bethany Home Road,

StrokeCheck includes blood pressure and heart rate, body mass index, review of family history and risk factor assessment, stroke education and materials and counseling with a licensed medical professional. Participants are requested to bring a list of current medications and recent lab work to the sessions. For the glucose screening, please fast 6-8 hours prior to the test. If you have not fasted, the test cannot be performed.

For more information, go to AbrazoHealth.com/strokecheck. Registration is required. Please call 855-292-WELL (9355).   

Stroke Warning Signs

Warning signs of a stroke include:

F: Face: Ask the person to smile. Does one side of the face droop?

A: Arms: Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?

S: Speech: Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence. Are the words slurred? Can the patient repeat the sentence correctly?

T: Time: Get the affected person to a hospital right away to receive the most effective treatment.

Act fast and call 9-1-1- immediately at any sign of stroke.