CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES: STROKE
Like heart muscle, brain cells must have a continuous adequate supply of oxygen in order to survive. A stroke (also called a cerebrovascular accident) occurs when the blood supply to the brain is cut off. Strokes may be caused by a thrombus (blood clot), an embolus (a wandering clot), or an aneurysm (a weakening in a blood vessel that causes it to bulge and, in severe cases, burst). Stroke killed more than 159,000 Americans in 1999 and accounted for 1 in 14 of our total deaths, surpassed only by CHD and cancer. On average, someone suffers a stroke every 53 seconds, with someone dying every 3.3 minutes.
When any of these events occurs, the result is the death of brain cells, which do not have the capacity to heal or regenerate. Strokes may cause speech impairments, memory loss, and loss of motor control. Although some strokes affect parts of the brain that regulate heart and lung function and kill within minutes, others are mild and cause only temporary dizziness or slight weakness or numbness. About one in ten major strokes is preceded (days, weeks, or months before) by one of these mild forms of strokes, called transient ischemic attacks (TIAs). These are often indications of an impending major stroke. Knowing the warning signs or symptoms of stroke may help you or a loved one get medical attention earlier, when treatment may be more effective. Among the most common symptoms are the following:
• Sudden weakness or numbness of the face, arm, or leg on one side of the body
• Sudden dimness or loss of vision, particularly in only one eye
• Loss of speech, or trouble talking or understanding speech
• Sudden, severe headaches with no known cause
Unexplained dizziness, unsteadiness, or sudden falls, especially along with any of the previously listed symptoms.
One of the greatest medical successes in recent years has been the decline in the fatality rates from strokes, a rate that has dropped by one third in the United States during the 1980s and continues to decline. Improved diagnostic procedures, improved surgical options, clot-busting drugs injected early after a stroke has occurred, and acute care centers specializing in stroke treatment and rehabilitation have all been factors. An increase in awareness of risk factors for stroke, especially high blood pressure, and an emphasis on prevention also has contributed to risk reduction. It is estimated that more than one half of all remaining strokes could be avoided if more people followed the recommended preventive standards.
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