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Data from the United States show that approximately 10% of all stroke survivors recover almost completely. About 25% of the survivors recover with minor impairments, while about 40% of survivors experience moderate to severe impairments. At the other end of the spectrum, we find the 10% of stroke survivors that are in such bad long-term Read More ...
Identify your individual risk factors.Some of these risk factors you wont be able to do much about, such as your age and the fact that a close relative had a stroke at a young age. Other risk factors are very much within your grasp to change, such as those concerning your diet, physical activity, cigarettes Read More ...
Read more about how you reduce the risk of a stroke
Diet A healthy diet can help reduce the risk of stroke. This involves both eating the right things and not eating too much. Examples of health recommendations for diet: Eat both dark green veggies and red/orange veggies Eat legumes, such as peas and beans Eat whole fruits. Whole fruits are much better than juice, especially Read More ...
A binary option is a financial contract with a binary payoff structure. At expiration, it pays a pre-determined amount if a specified condition is true, and nothing if the condition is false. If you get paid or not only depends on if this condition is met, and not on how much it is met. You Read More ...
Some risk factors for stroke – such as diet and physical activity – are within our grasp to change if we want to reduce our risk of experiencing a stroke. But there are also risk factors that we can’t do anything about, such as being older than 55 years or our genetic makeup. Below, we Read More ...
A stroke occurs when brain cells die due to a lack of oxygen. This lack of oxygen is caused either by a lack of blood flow to the brain cells (ischemic stroke) or bleeding in or around the brain (hemorrhagic stroke).
Since the brain cells need oxygen-rich blood from the lungs to get oxygen, they will soon start to die when they don’t get enough. As the brain cells die, the person experiences symptoms from the impacted section or sections of the brain.
The exact symptoms of a stroke will depend on its severity and on what or which sections of the brain are impacted. The symptoms appear very suddenly.
Examples of common symptoms of a stroke:
Modifiable vascular risk factors, clinical targets, pharmacology, and lifestyle interventions
| Risk Factor / Domain | Intervention Tier | Target Clinical Parameter | Mechanisms & Medical Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hypertension Vascular Sclerosis | Leading Modifiable |
< 130/80 mmHg (Guideline-directed standard) |
Treating elevated blood pressure via ACE inhibitors, ARBs, CCBs, or thiazide diuretics cuts ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke risk by 30%–40%. Mitigates small-vessel lipohyalinosis and microaneurysm rupture. |
| Atrial Fibrillation Cardioembolic Source | Anticoagulation |
CHA₂DS₂-VASc ≥ 2 (M) / ≥ 3 (F) DOAC therapy or LAA closure |
Stasis in the left atrial appendage triggers dense thrombi that embolize directly into the middle cerebral artery. DOACs (apixaban, rivaroxaban, dabigatran) reduce cardioembolic stroke by ~65% with half the intracranial bleed risk of warfarin. |
| Hyperlipidemia Large Artery Atherosclerosis | Lipid Lowering |
LDL-C < 70 mg/dL (1.8 mmol/L) < 55 mg/dL for extreme vascular risk |
High-intensity statins (atorvastatin 80 mg) stabilize vulnerable fibrous caps in carotid and vertebral plaques. Adding ezetimibe or PCSK9 inhibitors reduces recurrent ischemic events through plaque regression and anti-inflammatory pleiotropic effects. |
| Type 2 Diabetes Micro- & Macrovascular | Metabolic Control |
HbA1c < 7.0% GLP-1 RA / SGLT2i priority |
Persistent hyperglycemia accelerates endothelial dysfunction and stiffens arterial walls. GLP-1 receptor agonists (semaglutide, dulaglutide) demonstrate direct anti-atherosclerotic vascular benefits, significantly lowering ischemic stroke endpoints in diabetic cohorts. |
| Antiplatelet Therapy Non-Cardioembolic | Secondary Prevention |
Aspirin, Clopidogrel, or DAPT Short-term 21–90 days DAPT post-TIA/minor |
Inhibits thromboxane A2 and ADP-mediated platelet aggregation over ruptured atheromas. Dual antiplatelet therapy (aspirin + clopidogrel) initiated within 24 hours of high-risk TIA (ABCD² ≥ 4) or minor stroke markedly prevents early recurrence. |
| Carotid Artery Stenosis Extracranial Large Vessel | Revascularization |
70%–99% Stenosis (Symptomatic) CEA or CAS within 14 days |
Carotid endarterectomy (CEA) or carotid artery stenting (CAS) eliminates source plaque in tight ipsilateral stenosis, providing massive relative risk reduction over medical management alone when executed promptly after symptom onset. |
| Lifestyle Modifiers Behavioral Health | Primary Baseline |
150 min/wk moderate aerobic exercise Tobacco cessation; Mediterranean diet |
Complete smoking cessation drops vascular risk to near baseline within 5 years. Sodium restriction (< 2.0 g/day) and Mediterranean/DASH nutritional patterns directly attenuate systemic oxidative stress and endothelial inflammation. |
The treatment after a stroke can be divided into two parts: emergency treatment immediately after the stroke and post-stroke rehabilitation once the person has survived the stroke.
After a stroke, there is an increased risk of another stroke, so diagnosing and treating underlying health conditions and addressing lifestyle factors are also of imperative importance.
The exact nature of the emergency treatment after a stroke will depend on the type of stroke. When the stroke is caused by a blood clot, medicine is given to rapidly dissolve the clot. In the case of a hemorrhagic stroke, the bleeding must be stopped and any excess pressure on the brain relieved.
A stroke can be fatal, and stroke is the 5th most common cause of death in the United States. Of those who survive, two out of three will have some type of long-term disability as a result of the stroke. This disability can for instance be speech problems, hemiplegia, hemiparesis, and/or memory problems. In the United States, stroke is the leading cause of adult disability.
After a stroke, it is not unusual to experience problems with thinking, attention, awareness, judgment, learning, memory, emotion control, forming speech and understanding speech.
Some survivors experience numbness, pain or strange sensations. Pain is especially common in the hands and feet, and there can be a big sensitivity to temperature changes and cold.
Hemiplegia is the complete paralysis of one side of the body. Hemiplegia can be caused by a stroke.
Hemiparesis, or unilateral paresis, is a weakness of one entire side of the body. It is less severe than hemiplegia. Hemiparesis can be caused by a stroke.