What is the most important thing to know about stroke?
The most important thing to know about stroke is how to prevent it. Stroke is a leading cause of death and disability throughout the world. In the United States, more than 700,000 strokes each year give rise to staggering financial and emotional burdens. This unfortunate situation is made more regrettable by the fact that many, perhaps most strokes are preventable. Many things contribute to the occurrence of stroke, and avoiding a stroke is largely a matter of identifying and reducing risk factors. Some risk factors, such as age, gender and race, are not amenable to modification–but many other risk factors are modifiable. Some of these have been known for several decades, while others have been recognized only recently. Long-recognized risks include high blood pressure, heart disease (especially heart attack and heart arrhythmia, such as atrial fibrillation), diabetes, cholesterol, carotid artery disease, and smoking. By some estimates nearly half of all strokes could be prevented if
The most important thing to know about stroke is how to prevent it. Stroke is a leading cause of death and disability throughout the world. In the United States, more than 700,000 strokes each year give rise to staggering financial and emotional burdens. This unfortunate situation is made more regrettable by the fact that many, perhaps most strokes are preventable. Many things contribute to the occurrence of stroke, and avoiding a stroke is largely a matter of identifying and reducing risk factors. Some risk factors, such as age, gender and race, are not amenable to modification–but many other risk factors are modifiable. Some of these have been known for several decades, while others have been recognized only recently. Long-recognized risks include high blood pressure, heart disease (especially heart attack and heart arrhythmia, such as atrial fibrillation), diabetes, cholesterol, carotid artery disease, and smoking. By some estimates nearly half of all strokes could be prevented if
