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Stroke Facts

Barrow Neurological Institute of St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center, Phoenix, Arizona

A stroke is the result of sudden loss of blood flow to the brain due to blood vessel blockage or rupture. Loss of blood flow deprives the brain of oxygen and glucose (sugar), and causes the rapid build up of waste products that injure or kill brain cells. When brain cells are injured or die, the bodily functions that they control are impaired or lost.

Time is Brain

Stroke Statistics

Every 45 seconds someone in the United States suffers a stroke. More than 750,000 people suffered a stroke in America in 2007.
Someone dies from stroke every 3 minutes.
Stroke is the third leading cause of death and the number-one cause of disability in the United States.
Strokes can affect people at any age, although the risk doubles every 10 years after age 55. Even so, about 25% of all stroke victims are under the age of 65.
Stroke kills twice as many women as breast cancer.
If appropriate medical care is received within the first 3 hours of the onset of symptoms, the impact of the stroke can be minimized.
Much of the personal and economic loss from stroke can be prevented. If the warning signs of stroke are recognized and appropriate medical care is sought within the first 3 hours of the onset of symptoms, the adverse effects of a stroke can often be minimized. Nonetheless, fewer than one of every 20 stroke victims seeks appropriate medical treatment in time.