Stroke is the Third Leading Cause of Death in the United States

Posted: Sept. 1, 2005

Every 45 seconds someone in the United States has a stroke and every three minutes someone dies from a stroke. In the U.S. alone, an estimated 600,000 individuals will suffer a new or recurrent stroke each year -- 160,000 will die.

More than one million American stroke survivors struggle with serious disabilities, including loss of speech and/or language problems, weakness or paralysis, loss of balance or coordination, and confusion and memory loss. All are common impairments in the aftermath of a stroke.

Once it was believed that little could be done to treat stroke. Now we know that if a stroke victim receives emergency care within the first three to six hours of the first symptom, the disabling, long-term effects of stroke may be avoided or greatly reduced. Unfortunately, many people do not recognize the warning signs of stroke or do not know that immediate emergency care can greatly improve their chance of recovery. Studies show that the average person waits 13 hours after experiencing the first symptoms of stroke before seeking medical care, and 42 percent of patients wait as long as 24 hours. It is critical to recognize the symptoms of stroke and seek immediate emergency attention.

What causes a stroke?

A stroke occurs when a blood vessel carrying oxygen and nutrients to the brain is blocked by a clot or bursts, causing the brain to starve. If deprived of oxygen for even a short period of time, the brain nerve cells will start to die. Once the brain cells die from a lack of oxygen, the part of the body that that section of the brain controls is affected through paralysis, language, motor skills, or vision.

There are two types of stroke:

• Blood clots that block the artery are ischemic (is-KEM-ik) strokes and the most common type, causing between 70-80 percent of all strokes.
• When a blood vessel ruptures, it causes a bleeding or hemorrhagic (hem-o-RAJ-ik) stroke. Such strokes are usually the result of a ruptured blood vessel or an aneurysm—a weakened area of a blood vessel that bulges or balloons out. Sometimes, abnormal tangles of blood vessels in the brain, called arteriovenous malformations (AVM) can rupture and cause a hemorrhagic stroke. Approximately 20 percent of strokes are hemorrhagic. This is the most common type of stroke in young people.

Source: Society of Interventional Radiology

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