Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States. About 137,000 Americans die of stroke every year.

A stroke, sometimes called a brain attack, occurs when a clot blocks the blood supply to the brain or when a blood vessel in the brain bursts. You can greatly reduce your risk for stroke through lifestyle changes and, in some cases, medication.

Stroke can cause death or significant disability, such as paralysis, speech difficulties, and emotional problems. Some new treatments can reduce stroke damage if patients get medical care soon after symptoms begin. When a stroke happens, it is important to recognize the symptoms, call 9-1-1 right away, and get to a hospital quickly.

About Stroke A stroke, sometimes called a brain attack, occurs when a clot blocks the blood supply to part of the brain or when a blood vessel in or around the brain bursts. In either case, parts of the brain become damaged or die. If you notice any signs or symptoms of a stroke, call 9-1-1 immediately. The chance that you will survive and recover from a stroke is higher if you get emergency treatment right away. Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States. For stroke survivors, recovery can take months or years. Many people who have had a stroke never fully recover.

Types of Stroke Ischemic Stroke. About 85% of all strokes are ischemic, in which blood flow to the brain is blocked by blood clots or fatty deposits called plaque in blood vessel linings. Hemorrhagic Stroke A hemorrhagic stroke occurs when a blood vessel bursts in the brain. Blood accumulates and compresses the surrounding brain tissue. There are two types of hemorrhagic stroke Intracerebral hemorrhage is the most common type of hemorrhagic stroke. It occurs when an artery in the brain bursts, flooding the surrounding tissue with blood. Subarachnoid hemorrhage is bleeding in the area between the brain and the thin tissues that cover it. Transient ischemic attack (TIA) is a "warning stroke" or a "mini-stroke" that results in no lasting damage. Recognizing and treating TIAs immediately can reduce your risk of a major stroke.

Treatment

If you have a stroke, you may receive emergency care, treatment to prevent another stroke, rehabilitation to treat the side effects of stroke, or all three.

• Emergency treatment. If you get to the hospital within three hours of the first symptoms of an ischemic stroke, a doctor may give you medications, called thrombolytics, to break up blood clots. Unfortunately, if you have had a hemorrhagic stroke, few medications can treat it, but surgery may stop the bleeding.

• Preventing another stroke. If you have had a stroke, you are at high risk for another one. At least one in every eight stroke survivors has another stroke within 5 years. That's why it's important to treat the underlying causes, including heart disease, high blood pressure, atrial fibrillation, high cholesterol, or diabetes.

Your doctor may give you medications or tell you to change your diet, exercise, or adopt other healthy lifestyle habits. Surgery may also be helpful.

• Rehabilitation. Rehabilitation often involves physical therapy to help you relearn skills you may have lost because of the stroke. You also may need help relearning how to eat, bathe, or dress yourself. Therapy and medications may help with depression or other mental health conditions.

Life After Stroke

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If you have had a stroke, you can make great progress in regaining your independence. However, you may still suffer from any of the following:

• Paralysis on one side of your body.
• Weakness on one side of your body.
• Problems with thinking, awareness, attention, learning, judgment, and memory.
• Problems understanding or forming speech.
• Difficulty controlling or expressing emotions.
• Numbness or strange sensations.
• Pain in the hands and feet that worsens with movement and temperature changes.
• Depression.

Before being discharged from the hospital, social workers can help you find quality care services and family caregiver support to continue your long-term recovery.

Stroke Signs and Symptoms

What to Look For Stroke can affect your senses, speech, behavior, thoughts, memory, and emotions. One side of your body may become paralyzed or weak. The five most common signs and symptoms of stroke are Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm, or leg. Sudden confusion or trouble speaking or understanding others. Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes. Sudden dizziness, trouble walking, or loss of balance or coordination. Sudden severe headache with no known cause.

Signs of a stroke always come on suddenly. If your symptoms go away after a few minutes, you may have had a "mini-stroke," also called a transient ischemic attack (TIA). TIAs do not cause permanent damage but can be a warning sign of a full stroke—you should still get help immediately.

My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientist's Personal Journey

If you or someone else experiences one or more signs or symptoms of stroke, call 9-1-1 immediately. Every minute counts!

Risk Factors

Anyone can have a stroke, but certain behaviors and medical conditions can increase your chances. Fortunately, anyone can take steps to lower their risk.

Stroke Conditions

Anyone can have a stroke, but certain behaviors and medical conditions can increase your chances. Fortunately, anyone can take steps to lower their risk.

Medical Conditions

High blood pressure. High blood pressure, also called hypertension, can greatly increase your risk for stroke. Smoking cigarettes, eating a diet high in salt, and drinking too much alcohol can all raise your blood pressure. High blood cholesterol. High blood cholesterol can build up fatty deposits (plaque) on blood vessel walls. The deposits can block blood flow to the brain, causing a stroke. Diet, exercise, and family history affect blood cholesterol levels. Heart disease. Common heart disorders can increase your risk for stroke. For example, coronary artery disease (CAD) increases your risk because a fatty substance called plaque blocks the arteries that bring blood to the heart. Other heart conditions, such as heart valve defects, irregular heartbeat (including atrial fibrillation), and enlarged heart chambers, can cause blood clots that may break loose and cause a stroke. Diabetes. Having diabetes can increase your risk of stroke and can make the outcome of strokes worse. Diabetes is a condition that causes blood to build up too much sugar instead of delivering it to body tissues. High blood sugar tends to occur with high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

Overweight and obesity. Being overweight or obese can raise total cholesterol levels, increase blood pressure, and promote the development of diabetes.

Previous stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA). If you have already had a stroke or a TIA, also known as a "mini-stroke," there is a greater chance that you could have a stroke in the future.

Sickle cell disease. This is a blood disorder that is associated with ischemic stroke, and mainly affects African-American and Hispanic children. A stroke can happen if sickle cells get stuck in a blood vessel and clog blood flow to the brain. About 10% of children with sickle cell disease will have a stroke.

Stroke Behavior

• Tobacco Use: Smoking injures blood vessels and speeds up the hardening of the arteries. The carbon monoxide in cigarette smoke reduces the amount of oxygen that your blood can carry. Secondhand smoke can increase the risk of stroke for nonsmokers.

• Alcohol Use: Drinking too much alcohol raises your blood pressure, which increases the risk for stroke. It also increases levels of triglycerides, a form of cholesterol, which can harden your arteries.

• Physical Inactivity: Not getting enough exercise can make you gain weight, which can lead to increased blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Inactivity also is a risk factor for diabetes.

Stroke Heredity Family history. Having a family history of stroke increases the chance of stroke. Find out more about this type of risk at CDC's genomics and disease prevention Web site. Age and gender. The older you are, the more likely you are to have a stroke. Men are at greater risk than women to have a stroke. Race and ethnicity. Blacks, Hispanics, and American Indian/Alaska Natives have a greater chance of having a stroke than do non-Hispanic whites or Asians. See CDC's interactive maps to learn more about race and the risk for stroke.

How to Prevent Stroke

Live a Healthy Lifestyle

• Eat a healthy diet. Choosing healthful meal and snack options can help you avoid stroke and its complications. Be sure to eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. Eating foods low in saturated fat and cholesterol and high in fiber can help prevent high blood cholesterol. Limiting salt or sodium in your diet can also lower your blood pressure.

  For more information on healthy diet and nutrition, see CDC's Nutrition Web site.

• Maintain a healthy weight. Being overweight or obese can increase your risk for stroke. To determine whether your weight is in a healthy range, doctors often calculate a number called the body mass index (BMI). Doctors sometimes also use waist and hip measurements to measure a person's excess body fat.

  If you know your weight and height, you can calculate your BMI at CDC's Assessing Your Weight Web site.

• Be active. Physical activity can help you maintain a healthy weight and lower cholesterol and blood pressure. The Surgeon General recommends that adults should engage in moderate-intensity exercise for at least 30 minutes on most days of the week.

  For more information, see CDC's Physical Activity Web site.

• Don't smoke. Cigarette smoking greatly increases your risk for stroke. So, if you don't smoke, don't start. If you do smoke, quitting will lower your risk. Your doctor can suggest ways to help you quit.

  For more information about tobacco use and quitting, see How To Quit Smoking...And Quit For Keeps.

• Limit alcohol use. Avoid drinking too much alcohol, which causes high blood pressure. For more information, visit CDC's Alcohol and Public Health Web site.

Prevent or Treat Your Medical Conditions

If you have high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, or heart disease, there are steps you can take to lower your risk for stroke.

• Have your cholesterol checked. Your health care provider should test your cholesterol levels at least once every five years. Talk with your doctor about this simple blood test.
• Monitor your blood pressure. High blood pressure has no symptoms, so be sure to have it checked on a regular basis.
• Manage your diabetes. If you have diabetes, closely monitor your blood sugar levels. Talk with your health care provider about treatment options.
• Take your medicine. If you're taking medication to treat high cholesterol, high blood pressure, or diabetes, follow your doctor's instructions carefully. Always ask questions if you don't understand something.
• Talk with your health care provider. You and your doctor can work together to prevent or treat the medical conditions that lead to heart disease. Discuss your treatment plan regularly and bring a list of questions to your appointments.

How many Americans die from stroke?

Stroke kills around 137,000 people a year in the United States. It is the third leading cause of death. Stroke is also a leading cause of serious long-term disability.

America's Stroke Burden

• In 2006, 137,000 people in the United States died of stroke, accounting for nearly 1 in every 17 deaths. Only heart disease and cancer killed more people.

• Someone in the United States has a stroke every 40 seconds. Every three to four minutes, someone dies of stroke.

• Stroke is the third leading cause of death for both men and women. In 2006, 6 out of every 10 deaths due to stroke were in women.

• Every year, about 795,000 people in the United States have a stroke. About 610,000 of these are first or new strokes. About 185,000 people who survive a stroke go on to have another.

• Ischemic strokes, which occur when blood clots block the blood vessels to the brain, are the most common type of stroke, representing about 85% of all strokes.

• In 2009, stroke will cost the United States $68.9 billion.2 This total includes the cost of health care services, medications, and missed days of work.

• Stroke is a leading cause of serious long-term disability.

Stroke Risk Varies by Race and Ethnicity Stroke is among the five leading causes of death for people of all races and ethnicities. But the risk of having a stroke varies. Compared to whites, African Americans are at nearly twice the risk of having a first stroke. Hispanic Americans' risk falls between the two. Moreover, African Americans and Hispanics are more likely to die following a stroke than are whites. Stroke Risk Varies by Age Although stroke risk increases with age, strokes can—and do—occur at any age. Nearly one quarter of strokes occur in people under the age of 65. Deaths Vary by Geography The country's highest death rates due to stroke are in the southeastern United States. Early Action is Key In a 2005 survey, most respondents—93%—recognized sudden numbness on one side as a symptom of stroke. Only 38% were aware of all major symptoms and knew to call 9-1-1 when someone was having a stroke. Patients who arrive at the emergency room within three hours of their first symptoms tend to be healthier three months after a stroke than those whose care was delayed.

Americans at Risk

Below is the percentage of U.S. adults with stroke risk factors in 2005–2006.

Risk Factor	%
Inactivity	39.5
Obesity	33.9
High Blood Pressure	30.5
Cigarette Smoking	20.8
High Cholesterol	15.6
Diabetes	10.1

In 2003, approximately 37% of adults reported having two or more of the risk factors listed above.

How much does stroke cost the United States?

The American Heart Association estimates that stroke will cost the country about $68.9 billion in 2009. This total includes health care services, medications, and lost productivity due to illness or death. See more facts and statistics.

What does CDC do to address stroke?

CDC has several initiatives to help people prevent and control stroke. CDC funds state health departments to develop interventions aimed at preventing stroke and controlling its risk factors. CDC also funds states to track stroke data through the Paul Coverdell National Acute Stroke Registry to improve hospital care. In addition, CDC supports a national plan with targeted recommendations and specific action steps to reduce heart disease and stroke across the country. For more information, see how CDC addresses stroke.