Below are several definitions offered by various organizations and agencies specializing in stroke and related disorders. The interruption deprives the brain of blood and oxygen, and causes brain cells to die. A stroke strikes every minute in America. Four out of five American families will be affected by stroke during their lifetime.
Stroke is the number one cause of adult disability.
Three million Americans are currently permanently disabled because of stroke. The brain cells destroyed with the initial injury of stroke set off a chain reaction that also kills cells in the larger surrounding area. When brain cells die, function of the body parts they control is impaired or lost, causing paralysis, speech problems, memory and reasoning deficits, coma, and possibly death. Approximately two-thirds of all strokes occur in people age 65 and over. Strokes occur in men more than women, but women die more often as a result of stroke.