Stroke Update: Acute Treatment and Secondary Prevention

Stroke is a common disease affecting over 700,000 people in the US each year. It is the 3rd leading cause of death and a leading cause of long term disability. Most strokes are ischemic (85%). Hemorrhagic events make up the remainder and are divided into intracerebral hemorrhage and subarachnoid hemorrhage. The modern management of stroke focuses on acute treatment and prevention. This review will focus on three areas - the general medical management of acute ischemic stroke, thrombolytic therapy for acute ischemic stroke, and secondary prevention of stroke in patients with ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA).