Stroke is the No. 3 cause of death and a leading cause of serious long-term disability in America.
Stroke is a disease that affects the arteries of the brain.
A stroke occurs when a blood vessel bringing blood to the brain gets blocked or ruptures so the brain cells don't get the flow of blood they need. Deprived of oxygen, nerve cells can't function and die within minutes. And when nerve cells don't function, the part of the body controlled by these cells can't function either. The devastating effects of a stroke are often permanent because dead brain cells can't be replaced. The symptoms of a TIA are like the warning signs of a stroke, but they usually only last a few minutes.