stroke

Also known as CVA, CVI, brain attack, embolic stroke, cerebrovascular insult, cerebrovascular disorder, cerebrovascular accident, cerebral vascular accident

AI overview

A stroke occurs when blood flow to the brain is blocked, preventing brain cells from getting the oxygen they need to survive. It matters because strokes can cause permanent brain damage or death, making them a leading cause of serious disability and death worldwide.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Key facts

Medical condition (new).name: Stroke
Medical condition (new).image: MCA Territory Infarct.svg
Medical condition (new).caption: CT scan of the brain showing a massive, prior right-sided ischemic stroke from blockage of an artery. Changes on a CT may not be visible early on.
Medical condition (new).field: Neurology, neurosurgery, emergency medicine
Medical condition (new).synonyms: Cerebrovascular accident (CVA), cerebrovascular insult (CVI), cerebrovascular lesion (CVL), brain attack, cerebral infarction
Medical condition (new).symptoms: Facial drooping, inability to walk, move or feel on one side of the body, problems understanding or speaking, dizziness, loss of vision to one side
Medical condition (new).complications: Persistent vegetative state
Medical condition (new).causes: Ischemic (blockage) and hemorrhagic (bleeding)
Medical condition (new).risks: Age, high blood pressure, tobacco smoking, obesity, high blood cholesterol, diabetes mellitus, sleep apnea, previous TIA, end-stage kidney disease, atrial fibrillation
Medical condition (new).diagnosis: Based on symptoms with medical imaging typically used to rule out bleeding
Medical condition (new).differential: Low blood sugar
Medical condition (new).treatment: Based on the type
Medical condition (new).prognosis: Average life expectancy 1 year
Medical condition (new).frequency: 42.4 million (2015)
Medical condition (new).deaths: 6.3 million (2015)

via Wikipedia infobox

Research

527,839 papers

Neuronal injuries in cerebral infarction and ischemic stroke: From mechanisms to treatment (Review).ReviewInternational journal of molecular medicine · 2022Zhao Y, Zhang X, Chen X et al.DOI: 10.3892/ijmm.2021.5070
[Stroke].Brain and nerve = Shinkei kenkyu no shinpo · 2020Kimura HDOI: 10.11477/mf.1416201530
Visual symptoms in acute stroke - A systematic review of observational studies.Clinical neurology and neurosurgery · 2023Helboe KS, Eddelien HS, Kruuse CDOI: 10.1016/j.clineuro.2023.107749
Infectious Causes of Stroke.ReviewJournal of stroke and cerebrovascular diseases : the official journal of National Stroke Association · 2022Murala S, Nagarajan E, Bollu PCDOI: 10.1016/j.jstrokecerebrovasdis.2021.106274
Stroke from Infection.ReviewCerebrovascular diseases extra · 2025Chutinet A, Charnnarong C, Suwanwela NCDOI: 10.1159/000544986
Epidemiology of stroke in France.Archives of cardiovascular diseases · 2024Gabet A, Béjot Y, Touzé E et al.DOI: 10.1016/j.acvd.2024.10.327
Post-stroke immunosuppression: Exploring potential implications beyond infections.ReviewThe European journal of neuroscience · 2023Brea DDOI: 10.1111/ejn.16174
Cryptogenic stroke: definitions and management.ReviewHematology. American Society of Hematology. Education Program · 2025Powers WJDOI: 10.1182/hematology.2025000682

via PubMed

Wikidata facts

Image: MCA-Stroke-Brain-Humn-2A.jpg

Show 9 more facts

incidence: 239
Commons category: Stroke
NCI Thesaurus ID: C3390
ICPC 2 ID: K90
disease burden: 141348082
WordLift URL: data.medicalrecords.com/medicalrecords/healthwise/stroke
prevalence: 0.031
exact match: purl.obolibrary.org/obo/SYMP_0000734
P8168: Channel 10

Sources (7)

via Wikidata · CC0

~68 min read

Article

69 sections

Contents

Classification
Definition
Ischemic
Hemorrhagic
Signs and symptoms
Early recognition
Associated symptoms
Subtypes
Preceding signs and symptoms
Causes
Thrombotic stroke
Embolic stroke
Cerebral hypoperfusion
Venous thrombosis
Intracerebral hemorrhage
Other
Silent stroke
Pathophysiology
Ischemic
Collateral flow
Hemorrhagic
Diagnosis
Physical examination
Imaging
Underlying cause
Silent Strokes
Misdiagnosis
Prevention
Risk factors
Blood pressure
Blood lipids
Diabetes mellitus
Anticoagulant drugs
Surgery
Diet
Women
Previous stroke or TIA
Management
Ischemic stroke
Thrombolysis
Endovascular treatment
Craniectomy
Hemorrhagic stroke
Stroke unit
Rehabilitation
Spatial neglect
Automobile driving
Yoga
Action observation physical therapy for upper limbs
Cognitive rehabilitation for attention deficits
Motor imagery for gait rehabilitation
Physical and occupational therapy
Interventions for age-related visual problems in patients with stroke
Speech and language therapy
Devices
Physical fitness
Other therapy methods
Orthotics
Self-management
Prognosis
Physical effects
Emotional and mental effects
Epidemiology
History
Research
See also
References
Further reading
External links

Stroke is a medical condition in which poor blood flow to a part of the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and hemorrhagic, due to bleeding. Both cause parts of the brain to stop functioning properly.

Signs and symptoms of stroke may include facial drooping, inability to walk, move or feel on one side of the body, problems understanding or speaking, dizziness, or loss of vision to one side. Signs and symptoms often appear soon after the stroke has occurred. If symptoms last less than 24 hours, the stroke is a transient ischemic attack (TIA), also called a mini-stroke. Hemorrhagic stroke may also be associated with a severe headache. The symptoms of stroke can be permanent. Long-term complications may include pneumonia and loss of bladder control.