About this Blog - Cerebrovascular Accident

Welcome to my new blog - Cerebrovascular Accident.

I am a neurologist with an incredible interest in stroke.

Why stroke?

Despite the modern advance in the diagnosis and treatment of cerebrovascular disease, stroke remains an important cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that there are 15 million cases of stroke each year. Of these, 5 million will die from the stroke and 5 million will live with long-term disability.

Stroke is more prevalent in industrialized nations and is a major health concern in the United States. It is estimated that 795,000 strokes occur annually in the US. In 2005 the American Heart Association (AHA) reported 143,579 stroke-related deaths, making stroke the third most common cause of death behind heart disease and cancer.

Although the overall stroke incidence is expected to increase with the aging population, the rate of death in stroke patients has been declining with advances in acute treatment and supportive care. Having said that, stroke risk approximately doubles in each decade from ages 35 to 95

I want to continue this trend.

Another frightening, but important, statistic is that in stroke survivors of ages 40 to 69, 15% of men and 17% of women are expected to have a recurrent stroke within 5 years. For those with stroke at age 70 or older, the rate of recurrent stroke increase to 23% for men and 27% for women.

So with this blog I intend to raise awareness about stroke and to let all of you know that stroke is a treatable condition if medical attention is sought on time.

I will do my best to give you information with regards to stroke medications, types of strokes (ischemic stroke, hemorrhagic stroke), stroke symptoms, causes of stroke, risk factors for stroke, stroke rehab, and most importantly prevention of a stroke.

In the next few days I will be posting new articles regarding all of these topics. Please do not hesitate to post comments and/or send me messages if you have any questions and/or concerns.

Hope that this site is enlightening and helpful to you. That it helps you understand stroke and how stroke affects our family. But, most importantly, help you recognize the signs of a stroke so you can, potentially, get medical help early.

May God bless you all.