Stroke occurs when there is insufficient blood flow to the brain. This may occur for a variety of reasons. Strokes may be hemorrhagic (bleeding into the brain) or ischemic (blockage of a vessel depriving the brain of circulation - "infarction"). The mechanisms of damage to the brain in stroke are similar to those on the heart in a heart attack.
Stroke is the leading cause of disability and the third leading cause of death among adults in the United States with over 730,000 strokes occurring each year. There are approximately 3 million stroke survivors in the United States.
The importance of immediate medical care for persons experiencing stroke is now widely recognized. Efforts to educate the public and medical personnel alike are helping to improve outcome by encouraging prompt attention and treatment to reduce complications and disability.
A variety of treatment options are available. Medications are used in both the treatment of acute stroke and the prevention of subsequent strokes. Reperfusion therapy is aimed at improving blood flow to the ischemic region and thus limiting the size of the acute infarction. Direct intra-arterial infusion of antithrombolytic agents via a catheter delivers higher concentrations of drug directly to the clot however, this approach is considered experimental. Surgical interventions are also available. Rehabilitation is an important part of stroke treatment. It involves regaining optimal health and functional ability following a stroke.
This MediFocus Guide contains an extensive listing of citations and abstracts of recent journal articles that have been published about this condition in trustworthy medical journals. This is the same type of information that is available to physicians and other health care professionals. A partial selection of journal articles that are abstracted in this MediFocus Guide includes:
Treatment of acute ischemic stroke. New England Journal of Medicine. 2000
Thrombolytic therapy for acute ischemic stroke. Journal of the Louisiana State Medical Society. 2000
Preventing ischemic stroke. Current approaches to primary and secondary prevention. Postgraduate Medicine. 2000
Update on antiplatelet therapy for stroke prevention. Archives of Internal Medicine. 2000
Transient ischaemic attacks and stroke. Medical Journal of Australia. 2000
Gender differences in acute CNS trauma and stroke: neuroprotective effects of estrogen and progesterone. Journal of Neurotrauma. 2000
Cardiovascular issues with oral contraceptives: evidenced-based medicine. International Journal of Fertility & Womens Medicine. 2000
Intelligence after stroke in childhood: review of the literature and suggestions for future research. Journal of Child Neurology. 2000
Risk factors for arterial ischemic stroke in children. Journal of Child Neurology. 2000
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