stroke
Definition
noun
- Same as cerebrovascular accidentExamples He had a stroke and died. • She was paralysed after a stroke.
verb
- to touch something or someone softly with the fingers
"…stroke is the third most frequent cause of death in developed countries after ischaemic heart disease and cancer"[British Journal of Hospital Medicine]
"…raised blood pressure may account for as many as 70 per cent of all strokes. The risk of stroke rises with both systolic and diastolic blood pressure"[British Journal of Hospital Medicine]
COMMENT There are two causes of stroke: cerebral haemorrhage (haemorrhagic stroke), when an artery bursts and blood leaks into the brain, and cerebral thrombosis (occlusive stroke), where a blood clot blocks an artery.