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Stroke (or cerebrovascular accident or CVA) is the clinical designation for a rapidly developing loss of brain function due to an interruption in the blood supply to all or part of the brain. This phenomenon can be caused by thrombosis, embolism, or hemorrhage (= haemorrhage). It is a medical emergency and can cause permanent neurological damage or even death if not promptly diagnosed and treated.

In most cases, the symptoms affect only one side of the body. The defect in the brain is usually on the opposite side of the body (depending on which part of the brain is affected).

Nowadays, stroke has become the third leading cause of death. One of the most significant stroke risk factors is advanced age. 95% of strokes occur in people age 45 and older, and two-thirds of strokes occur in those over the age of 65. A person’s risk of dying if he or she does have a stroke also increases with age. However, stroke can occur at any age, including in fetuses. It is predicted that stroke will soon become the first cause of death worldwide. What can we do, then?

Prevention of stroke can work at various levels including: 1. primary prevention - the reduction of risk factors across the board, by public health measures such as reducing smoking and the other behaviours that increase risk; 2. secondary prevention - actions taken to reduce the risk in those who already have disease or risk factors that may have been identified through screening; and 3. tertiary prevention - actions taken to reduce the risk of complications (including further strokes) in people who have already had a stroke.

Prevention is an important public health concern. Identification of patients with treatable risk factors for stroke is paramount. Treatment of risk factors in patients who have already had strokes (secondary prevention) is also very important as they are at high risk of subsequent events compared with those who have never had a stroke. Medication or drug therapy is the most common method of stroke prevention. Aspirin (usually at a low dose of 75 mg) is recommended for the primary and secondary prevention of stroke.

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