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Stroke occurs when the blood flow to the brain is interrupted or stopped. Often called a “brain attack,” stroke leads to loss of function as brain tissue is starved of the oxygen usually obtained from the blood supply.

STROKE FACTS*
	About 700,000 Americans each year suffer a new or recurrent stroke. That means, on average, a stroke occurs every 45 seconds.
	Stroke kills more than 150,000 people a year. That's about 1 of every 16 deaths. It's the No. 3 cause of death behind diseases of the heart and cancer.
	On average, every 3 to 4 minutes someone dies of stroke.
	Of every 5 deaths from stroke, 2 occur in men and 3 in women.
	The 2004 stroke death rates per 100,000 population for specific groups were 48.1 for white males, 47.4 for white females 73.9 for black males and 64.9 for black females.
	Americans will pay about $62.7 billion in 2007 for stroke-related medical costs and disability.
*Source: ASA

Signs of stroke usually appear suddenly.

STROKE & TIA SYMPTOMS* Any or all of the following:
	Sudden weakness or numbness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body
	Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding
	Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
	Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
	Sudden, severe headaches with no known cause
*Source: AHA statistics 2004