Watch animations explaining stroke causes and treatments. What is a stroke? More than 750,000 new strokes are diagnosed each year in the United States. Stroke is the third leading cause of death in America and the No. 1 cause of adult disability. But 80 percent of strokes are preventable. Strokes can be divided into two main types. Bleeding, or hemorrhagic, stroke typically results from a ruptured aneurysm or an AVM. Ischemic stroke occurs when a blood clot blocks an artery that brings blood to the brain. Deprived of oxygen, brain cells die at a rate of two million cells per minute during an ischemic stroke, increasing the risk of permanent brain damage, disability or death. Recognizing symptoms and acting fast to get medical attention can save a life and minimize disability — the need for urgent evaluation and therapy led to the creation of the MUSC REACH stroke telemedicine network. Stroke symptoms: - Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arms or leg — especially on one side of the body
- Sudden confusion or trouble speaking or understanding speech
- Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
- Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, or loss of balance or coordination
- Sudden severe headache with no known cause
Increased risk factors for stroke: - Male
- Over age 55
- African American
- Diabetes
- Hypertension
- Hyperlipidemia
- Smoking
- Atrial fibrillation
- Family history of stroke
 | Angiogram in an acute stroke showing blockage of the Basilar artery. |
|  | Angiogram after the blood clot has been removed from the Basilar artery showing blood flow into the brain |
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Stroke treatment: Treatment must be initiated quickly after the onset of stroke for the best possible outcome. Injecting a clot-busting drug into a vein can treat some strokes, but only if administered within three hours following the first signs of stroke. MUSC is the only certified stroke center in the Charleston area that can offer additional treatments beyond the three-hour window. Such catheter-based procedures range from devices that remove or break up the blockage (thrombectomy) to delivering a clot-busting medication directly to the clot (thrombolysis). MUSC offers new treatment alternatives by participating in ongoing clinical trials to evaluate the latest devices and medicines. This affords many patients an opportunity for treatment that are not candidates for standard treatments. Regardless of the method utilized, remember that time is brain. For more information about stroke, please see the American Stoke Association Web site. | 
