DOWNEY – It’s not every day you get to hear one of the world’s top doctors and researchers speak for free on a topic that can save your life.  Yet that is exactly what is happening in here on Wednesday, Oct. 28 at 9:30 a.m. when the brilliant neurologist and researcher Helena Chang Chui, MD, will be speaking about stroke and dementia at Rio Hondo Event Center during the final Primary Stroke Prevention Seminar of the year in Downey.

In addition to Dr. Chui’s presentation that will provide essential health tips for leading a healthier life, the RTH Stroke Foundation will provide carotid artery and blood pressure screenings to all those who preregister for the event toll-free at (888) 794-9466 or at rthfoundation.org.  

The carotid artery screening alone can cost up to $500 in a doctor’s office.  It will be given at no charge at this event.

“I would recommend that anyone wishing to attend should sign up right away, because Dr. Chui’s presentations in Downey have quickly sold out each time she has spoken here in the past,” RTH Stroke Foundation Executive Director Guy Navarro said.

“Dr. Chui will speaking on the day before World Stroke Day,” said RTH Stroke Foundation President Deborah Massaglia. “Stroke Day is being observed worldwide on October 29 to underscore the serious nature and high rates of stroke, raise awareness of the prevention and treatment of the condition, and ensure better care and support for survivors.  We are very pleased that a world-renewed medical leader will be presenting our special Stroke Day seminar in Downey.”

Dr. Chui, the Chair of the Department of Neurology at USC’s Keck School of Medicine, will discuss the latest research findings about Alzheimer Disease, vascular cognitive impairment and stroke.  Internationally recognized for her research in Alzheimer Disease and vascular cognitive impairment, Dr. Chui is the principal investigator for the Alzheimer Disease Research Center, funded by the National Institute on Aging, and is the author of more than 120 publications in her field.

“I am always amazed by how Dr. Chui explains complex medical concepts so simply so that everyone understands so much more about how to improve their health,” Deborah said.  
The RTH Stroke Foundation sponsors the free Primary Stroke Prevention Seminar series with Rio Hondo Event Center, Keck Medicine of USC, and The Downey Patriot.  

“We provide these free screenings so that we can help save lives,” Massaglia said. “In the Downey area alone, we have saved many, many lives and put thousands of local residents on the road to better health over the last three years with the combination of health screenings and presentations by eminent physicians and researchers.”

Dr. Chui’s presentation is just one of many efforts that USC’s Memory and Aging Center is making across the greater Los Angeles area to inform the community about Alzheimer Disease and other types of memory loss.  The Memory and Aging Center, which Dr. Chui leads, includes the National Institute on Aging Alzheimer Disease Research Center and California Alzheimer Disease Centers at USC and Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center in Downey.  

In addition to a wide-ranging discussion of the latest research findings about Alzheimer Disease and other memory loss issues, Dr. Chui will also provide helpful information about risk factors for coronary heart disease and stroke.

She will also prescribe lifestyle modifications for those who are at risk., which could help seminar attendees dramatically decrease their likelihood of having a heart attack or stroke. 

“I am always impressed by how Dr. Chui provides so much important medical information at her seminars, but unlike some other clinicians, she presents this high-level material so that I can understand it,” said Downey community leader Beverly Mathis.

“Dr. Chui is a noted physician and researcher, and she has certainly earned her reputation as one of the top-rated neurologists in the world,” Beverly said.  “But for me, it is her kindness and compassion for others that sets her apart as a truly great person.  I wouldn’t miss this event, and I hope my fellow Downey citizens pack the Rio Hondo Event Center again this year to learn how we can live a more healthy life from this remarkable medical leader.”