The Prevention of Stroke

Since stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States and the major cause of disability in older individuals, prevention deserves greater and more dedicated efforts by medical practitioners and health policy planners. As the population continues to age, successful implementation of stroke prevention strategies should produce tangible benefits for large segments of society. The Prevention of Stroke focuses on the stroke risk factors that are amenable to modification and describes ongoing strategies for their amelioration. It emphasizes primary prevention of risk factors because intervention before a stroke risk factor appears clinically is likely to yield the highest benefits. It also recognizes secondary prevention measures as important in reducing the chance of a stroke. A strength of this book is its reliance on well-founded, scientifically derived evidence interpreted by clinically experienced stroke experts. The authors assess the state of our current knowledge of successful stroke prevention measures while pointing out areas where there is a need to develop new and better prevention techniques. With a fund of bibliographic references and comprehensive index, this is an essential clinical reference on the successful prevention of stroke.