Download
the latest version of the Stroke Recovery Canada Brochure, How to Prevent
the Next Stroke,
Fall 2007. English Version (605 KB
file PDF)
Download
the latest edition of The Phoenix newsletter, Spring 2007. English Version (821 KB file
PDF) French
Version (547 KB file PDF)
Stroke
is the No. 1 cause of adult disability in Canada and the third leading cause of
death.
Stroke
can affect anyone regardless of age, gender, ethnicity or socio-economic
status. Approximately 300,000 Canadians are living with the
effects of stroke.
A
stroke is a brain attack. It occurs when a blood clot interrupts blood flow to
the brain, or when a blood vessel ruptures. Cells in and around the stroke site
become damaged and begin to die. Part of the brain stops working as a result.
Fifty
thousand Canadians suffer from a stroke every year - one person every 10
minutes - and the incidence is increasing with Canada's aging population.
One
in five people who survive a stroke are at risk of another stroke or a heart
attack within two years.
After
age 55, the risk of stroke doubles every 10 years.
Fewer
than 50 per cent of stroke survivors return to work, leaving families with
caregiving responsibilities and the additional burden of lost income.
In
adults, stroke is associated with risk factors such as smoking and high blood
pressure.