Member-only story
Luke Perry’s Stroke
At 52 …which should be a clue to you.
Actor Luke Perry Died on March 4 after suffering a “massive stroke” on February 27. I was alerted by Megan, my 39-year-old niece. She enjoys reading her local Crime Blotter (and posting funny entries she sees), and she, her dad, and I have a text group where we try to scoop each other on reporting about someone interesting who died. Now and then, I even get a good Honorary Unsubscribe out of it.
When I saw it was a stroke, and that the former teen heartthrob Perry was only 52, I commented back, “Keep tabs on your blood pressure! Even at your age.” I don’t know if hypertension was behind Perry’s stroke, but that’s by far the most common risk factor.
Her reply surprised me: “I’m already on meds for it!” We chatted about it, and she said she’s been on such drugs for several years, at a very low dose. Her doctor tried taking her off the drugs and her BP popped up again, so back to it.
Yes, someone who is only 52 (or even 39) can have a stroke. In fact, even young children can and do have them too. It’s tragic, and mostly preventable: stroke is the #1 preventable cause of disability.
I asked Megan if she monitored her blood pressure at home. No… and how would she know whether it’s accurate if she did?
