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Hopkins Association
for Stroke Awareness
What is Stroke?
​According to the
American Stroke Association:

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Stroke is a disease that affects the arteries leading to and within the brain. It is the No. 4 cause of death and a leading cause of disability in the United States.
A stroke occurs when a blood vessel that carries oxygen and nutrients to the brain is either blocked by a clot or bursts (or ruptures). When that happens, part of the brain cannot get the blood (and oxygen) it needs, so it and brain cells die.
- Stroke can be caused either by a clot obstructing the flow of blood to the brain (called an ischemic stroke) or by a blood vessel rupturing and preventing blood flow to the brain (called a hemorrhagic stroke). A TIA (transient ischemic attack), or "mini stroke", is caused by a temporary clot.
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Statistics:

- About 795,000 Americans each year suffer a new or recurrent stroke. That means, on average, a stroke occurs every 40 seconds.
- Stroke kills more than 137,000 people a year. That's about 1 of every 18 deaths. It's the No. 4 cause of death.
- On average, every 4 minutes someone dies of stroke.
- About 40 percent of stroke deaths occur in males, and 60 percent in females.
- The 2006 stroke death rates per 100,000 population for specific groups were 41.7 for white males, 41.1 for white females, 67.7 for black males and 57.0 for black females.
- Americans will pay about $73.7 billion in 2010 for stroke-related medical costs and disability.
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