Stroke: Fast Facts
Reviewed By:
Andrew Biondo, D.O.
- Stroke is also known as a cerebrovascular accident or "brain attack."
- A stroke is a life-threatening event in which part of the brain is deprived of adequate oxygen.
- Strokes are extremely dangerous, accounting for more than 160,000 deaths each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States, behind heart disease and cancer.
- It is also a leading cause of adult disability and institutionalization.
- Each year, about 700,000 people suffer strokes. Of those, 500,000 are first-time strokes, and 200,000 are recurrent.
- There are two kinds of strokes.
- An ischemic stroke occurs when the blood supply to the brain is interrupted, usually by a blood clot.
- These clots may be caused by "hardening of the arteries" in the carotid arteries, which feed the head and brain with oxygen-rich blood.
- The second kind of stroke is a hemorrhagic stroke, which occurs when there is bleeding into or around the brain.
- Treatment is important as soon as possible to reestablish the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the brain cells before permanent tissue damage or death occurs.
- Medical personnel must act quickly to treat a stroke and re-establish blood flow to the brain.
- People who survive a stroke should begin stroke rehabilitation as soon as possible to help regain lost functions.
- Most recovery occurs during the first few months following a stroke.
- New intensive rehabilitation techniques are offering hope for recovery even a year after a debilitating stroke.
- There have been a number of recent advances in the treatment of stroke.
- The risk of a recurrent stroke is very real.
- People are usually advised to take a number of steps to reduce their risk for another stroke.
- These steps might include eating a heart-healthy diet and taking aspirin or other antiplatelet agents.
- For people with severe blockage of a carotid artery, a doctor might also recommend a form of preventative surgery.
- According to the U.S. National Institutes of Health, the risk of stroke is greater - and the recovery process slower - for African Americans than for Caucasians.
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