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Stroke

Community Health Network is committed to caring and educating those at risk for cerebravascular disease.

Did you know?*

• About 700,000 Americans each year suffer a new or recurrent stroke. That means, on average, a stroke occurs every 45 seconds.
• Stroke kills over 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.
• Of every 5 people who die from stroke, about 2 are men and 3 are women.

*American Stroke Association (a division of American Heart Association), March 2008, www.strokeassociation.org

What is a stroke?

A stroke occurs when the brain does not get oxygen or nutrients that are carried by blood vessels because the vessels get blocked or burst. When this happens nerve cells in the brain start to die. The nerve cells in the brain control other parts of the body; when they die, the body parts they control may lose functionality. Stroke damage is often permanent.

Effects of stroke

Depending on the type of stroke, people are affected differently. Brain injury from a stroke can affect senses, speech and understanding of speech, mobility, behavior and thought processes as well as emotions and memory. Often individuals experience paralysis or weakness on one side of the body.

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• Warning signs of stroke
• Risk factors
• Types of strokes
• Treatment
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