Stroke Still Strikes Hard
May 30, 2025 - It is estimated that there will be 1,136,000 new cases of stroke this year in the US, up 2% from last year. The cases of stroke have increased by 67% during the last 25 years, which is in line with the growing and aging population.
Even though there has been some progress in the research of the aging of blood vessels and brain, the key risk factor of stroke, new cases have not been decreasing in relation to the population. However, improved treatments have decreased the mortality of stroke during the last decade.
Stroke is a sudden interruption in the blood supply of the brain. The most common form is ischemic stroke (about 90% of all cases) which is an abrupt blockage of arteries leading to the brain. The rest of the stroke cases are mainly when a blood vessel in the brain bursts, which is a more fatal form called hemorrhagic stroke. Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the US and the leading cause of major adult disability.
Stroke occurs more often in women than men, and about 60% of all stroke deaths occur in women. African-Americans have nearly double the overall rate of stroke compared with white Americans, and more than 70% of all stroke cases occur in people older than 65 years. You are more at risk to get a stroke if you are smoking, eat unhealthy food, are overweight or have high blood pressure (hypertension is a factor in almost 70% of all stroke cases).
Since it is crucial to get help as soon as possible to survive a stroke and for a better outcome, it is important to recognize the warning signs of a person who gets a stroke. The signs depend of what part and side of the brain that is affected, and how sever the injury is. The most common sign is sudden weakness on one side of the body, face, arm or leg. Others are sudden numbness, confusion, trouble speaking or understanding speech, trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination, or severe headache with no known cause.
Argument: According to the lecture Stroke Therapy in the Year 2025 1,136,000 stroke cases will occur in the US by 2025.
Questions: Lots of people, and their families as caregivers, are affected when a stroke occurs. Since it is crucial that a person with stroke gets to hospital and very few people are aware of the warning signs, shouldn't these signs be taught in elementary education? What new discoveries will open up for better brain recovery after a stroke?
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