The American Stroke Association urges area residents to know the risks and know the signs.

On Thursday, more than 200 people gathered at Madison's Concourse Hotel for the "Improving Stroke Care in Wisconsin and at Your Hospital" symposium.

As stroke treatment continues to develop, Wisconsin's health care professionals seek to create a uniformed protocol to ensure timely, effective care of stroke victims. With representatives of more than 40 statewide hospitals in attendance the A.S.A. hopes the event helps to put the care of stroke victims on the same level as that of cardiac patients.

In adults over age 55, the lifetime risk of stroke is greater than one in six.
Meanwhile, in Wisconsin, more than 3,500 people die from stroke each year.