Strokes, or "brain attacks," occur nearly every 45 seconds and are the leading cause of long-term disability in the nation. Strokes happen when blood flow to your brain stops. Within minutes, brain cells begin to die.
There are two types of stroke:
ischemic stroke, which is caused by a blood clot that blocks or plugs a blood vessel in the brain;
hemorrhagic stroke, which is caused by a blood vessel that breaks and bleeds into the brain.
The "Stroke Belt":
Stroke is more common and more deadly even in young and middle-aged African American adults than for any ethnic group in the U.S, according to data from the National Institutes of Health.
Georgia is in the heart of the "Stroke Belt," which records a higher incidence of death and disability due to stroke than any other region in the country.
