Stroke

Blood is supplied to the brain by blood vessels called arteries. These arteries may get blocked, causing an “ischaemic stroke” or “infarct”. Less commonly, these arteries may burst, causing a “haemorrhagic stroke” or “brain haemorrhage”.

There are a number of factors that increase the risk of stroke:

• Old age
• Male gender
• High blood pressure (Hypertension)
• Cigarette smoking
• Diabetes mellitus
• High cholesterol
• Irregular heartbeat (Atrial fibrillation)
• Certain heart diseases including a recent heart attack
• Previous stroke or TIA