ABSTRACT
Cerebrovascular disease is the third most common cause of death and one of the most common causes of disability in the United States and Europe. Based on health interviews, it is estimated that 3.3 million Americans, representing 1.3% of the population, have symptomatic cerebrovascular disease, 39.4% of whom are limited in their daily activities (36). The prevalence of stroke in persons older than 65 years of age is estimated at approximately 60 per 1000, and, in persons older than 75, 95 per 1000 (35). The prevalence is also much higher in blacks than in whites (66). The annual incidence has been estimated at 6-12 per 1000 in individuals of 65-74 years and at 40 per 1000 in those over 85 years. Thrombosis, occlusion, and hemorrhage are the most common causes leading to variable-sized areas of ischemia and infarction in the brain, usually around the internal capsule (63). The highest risk factor for stroke is age, with 70% of all strokes occurring in individuals over the age of 65. Other risk factors include hypertension, cardiac disease, atrial fibrillation, diabetes mellitus, cigarette smoking, alcohol abuse, and hyperlipidemia (11, 24, 34).
