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Page: Stroke
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A stroke is a rapidly developing loss of part of brain function or loss of conciousness due to an interruption in the blood supply to all or part of the brain . That is, a stroke involves the sudden loss of neuronal function due to disturbance in cerebral perfusion. There are many different causes for the interruption of blood supply, and different parts of the brain can be affected. Because of this, stroke can be quite heterogeneous. Patients with the same cause of stroke can have widely differing handicaps. Similarly, patients with the same clinical handicap can in fact have different causes of their stroke.
The part of the brain with disturbed perfusion no longer receives adequate amounts of oxygen and glucose, which immediately reduces or abolishes neuronal function. Secondarily, this initiates the ischemic cascade which causes brain cells to die or be seriously damaged, further impairing local brain function. Stroke is a medical emergency and can cause permanent neurologic damage or even death if not promptly diagnosed and treated. It is the third leading cause of death and the leading cause of adult disability in the United States and industrialized European nations. On average, a stroke occurs every 45 seconds and someone dies from a stroke every 3 minutes.
Risk factors include advanced age,hypertension (high blood pressure), diabetes mellitus, high cholesterol, cigarette smoking, atrial fibrillation, migraine with aura, and thrombophilia. Cigarette smoking is the most important modifiable risk factor of stroke.
The term "brain attack" is starting to come into use in the United States for stroke, just as the term "heart attack" is used for myocardial infarction, where a cutoff of blood causes necrosis to the tissue of the heart. Many hospitals have "brain attack" teams within their neurology departments specifically for swift treatment of stroke.
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Important notice:
The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other
qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
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