Today marks the start of 'FAST' Awareness Week, when the Irish Heart Foundation spreads the word about recognising the symptoms of a stroke.
More than one person suffers a stroke in Ireland every hour, with a total of 10,000 people admitted to hospital a year.
Despite the fact that 2,000 lives are lost to strokes in Ireland every year, only half the population would call 999 if they witnessed a person experiencing one.
The FAST campaign focuses on emphasising the need for rapid response after identifying any single one of three main symptoms of a potential stroke: a person's face falling to one side and inability to smile; an inability to raise their arms and keep them there; and slurred speech.
Head of Advocacy at the Irish Heart Foundation Chris Macey says brand new research is reinforcing the importance of rapid treatment for stroke victims:
