A good number of U.S. citizens live at least an hour's drive from the nearest advanced stroke center facility, a fact that a study reveals could end up as a life or death issue.

New research from Penn Medicine claims that a large number of citizens are not able to access a stroke center and may suffer dire consequences given blood flow reduction in the lag time in reaching needed medical assistance.

"We sought to demonstrate how mathematical modeling can inform the strategic development of the U.S. network of stroke centers by stimulating the conversion of PSCs into CSCs," states Dr. Michael Mullen, an assistant professor of neurology at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Mullen also serves as director of Penn's Comprehensive Stroke Center.

The research study, published in the current issue of Neurology, notes strokes are a leading cause of death but that fast response and treatment at a stroke center facility can "drastically mitigate the debilitating effects of a stroke."

The solution, says Mullen, is establishing comprehensive stroke centers (CSCs) using a population-based planning strategy.

"Given finite resources, it is critically important to locate CSCs in a way that maximizes population access," he said.

As of the end of 2010, there were 811 hospitals designated as primary stroke centers (PSCs) and that 66 percent of the U.S. population had 60-minute ground access to such facilities, note the researchers. However, that population figure drops considerably within the states of Arkansas, Alabama, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Caroline, Georgia and Tennessee with just 32 percent living within an hour's drive.

The study, conducted by the Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality, notes that adding just 20 additional CSCs would boost the number of residents having an hour's drive to a CSC.

Medical response and treatment time is critical in the stroke scenario as blood flow is often cut off, leading to debilitating consequences. Fast access to CSC therapy and treatment is key to such impact. Access to air flight transport to a CSC would greatly reduce the potential consequences as it would provide more residents quicker access to needed care.