STROKE

In England and Wales 110,000 strokes occur per year. African/Caribbean people are twice as likely to suffer strokes. Strokes occur when there is an interruption in the blood supply to the brain usually by clotting or bleeding.
African/Caribbean people are twice as likely to suffer strokes than the Caucasian population.

The brain controls the body; therefore damage caused by a stroke can affect many functions. The effects depend on the area of the brain affected, but the most common symptoms include loss of speech, weakness or paralysis on one side of the body. (About one person in ten dies within the first seven days after having a stroke, and one in four dies within the first three months.)

Risk factors

High blood pressure
Diabetes
Sickle cell anaemia
Smoking
Diet
Stress