A stroke is a type of cardiovascular disease that affects the cerebral arteries, the blood vessels that carry blood to the brain. A stroke occurs when one of these blood vessels in the brain becomes blocked or ruptures, flooding the brain with blood. Depriving the brain of blood and oxygen causes these cells to die immediately, preventing the brain from functioning properly. Once certain parts of the brain stop working, it can directly affect the areas of the body that are being controlled (1). A stroke can generally be defined into two types of categories. The first and most common type of stroke is called an ischemic stroke. This happens when a blood clot (cerebral thrombosis) blocks a blood vessel in the brain. Blood flow past the blood clot is then restricted and the part of the brain that depends on this blood supply becomes oxygen deficient and may die (1). A blood clot may develop in a narrowed artery that supplies blood to the brain or may travel directly from the heart (or somewhere in the body) to an artery that supplies blood to the brain. Blood clots are usually the result of other problems in the body that affect normal blood flow. Common problems that affect normal blood flow include: hardening of the arteries, irregular heart rhythms, infection of the heart valves, congenital heart defects, blood clotting disorders, inflammation of the blood vessels, etc. (2) Least common but most fatal One of the two strokes is called a hemorrhagic stroke. A hemorrhagic stroke occurs when an artery in the brain leaks or bursts (2). These strokes can be divided into two main types: cerebral and subarachnoid. A cerebral hemorrhage occurs when one of the cerebral arteries ruptures in the brain. Subarcachnoid hemorrhage occurs when the surface of the brain expands...... middle of paper......lysis and loss of brain function can prevent patients from making a full recovery, but it It's important to remember to take small steps and have a daily goal. The best way to prevent a stroke is to know your family history and other risk factors, such as whether or not you have high blood pressure, diabetes, or smoking. Smoking is the most preventable risk factor for stroke. Smokers are four times more likely to have a stroke than non-smokers. The nicotine and carbon monoxide found in tobacco smoke reduce the amount of oxygen in the blood (4). African Americans have more than double the rate of first stroke as Caucasians. Deaths from stroke are also twice as likely among African Americans as among Caucasians, resulting in a mortality rate that is also double. Some of these stroke disparities are due to the higher incidence of obesity, diabetes, and smoking among African Americans. (4).