Stroke
According to the American Heart Association, about 700,000 Americans will have a stroke this year — that’s someone every 45 seconds. It is the third leading cause of death in the United States and a primary cause of serious disability.

Stroke is the sudden death of brain cells resulting from an interruption of blood flow to the brain. Blood flow to the brain tissue can be interrupted in two ways:

• The vessel clogs within (ischemic stroke).
• The vessel ruptures, causing blood to leak into the brain (hemorrhagic stroke).

The longer the brain is deprived of oxygen-rich blood the worse the damage. Victims of stroke often lose control of major functions such as speech, movement, and memory.