Stroke is one of the most common causes of adult disability in the United States.
According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, more than 500,000 Americans suffer a stroke each year, resulting in approximately 160,000 deaths annually. A stroke is associated with decreased blood flow to the brain caused by a thrombus or rupture of a blood vessel. This leads to reduced oxygen in the brain, setting off a cascade of events triggering brain damage. The resulting low level of oxygen in the brain triggers the local blood vessels to become leaky. This process represents one of the major complications associated with stroke.