Cardiovascular

Stroke is a global health problem. It is the second commonest cause of death and fourth leading cause of disability worldwide. More high-quality years of life are lost due to stroke than to any other disease. The disability caused by the disease can be significantly reduced by efficient treatment of those affected.

A stroke occurs when a blood clot blocks a vessel or artery, or when a blood vessel breaks, interrupting blood flow to an area of the brain. When a stroke occurs, it kills brain cells in the immediate area. This can happen anytime from a few minutes after the stroke starts to a few hours later.

In developed countries, stroke is the first leading cause for disability, second leading cause of dementia and third leading cause of death. Stroke is also a predisposing factor for epilepsy, falls and depression in developed countries and is a leading cause of functional impairments. Stroke is no longer a disease of the developed world: Low and middle-income countries account for 85.5% of total stroke deaths worldwide and the number of disability-adjusted life years in these countries was approximately seven times that in high-income countries .1  

Acute ischaemic stroke, the most common type of stroke, occurs when the blood supply to part of the brain is blocked by either a blood clot in a brain vessel or atherosclerosis (fatty deposits or plaques lining vessel walls). A stroke can lead to disability or even death and always requires quick, acute treatment. Boehringer Ingelheim led the way in stroke care by developing the only licensed blood clot dissolving treatment (thrombolytic) for acute ischaemic stroke therapy, which is now used in stroke centres worldwide.

Boehringer Ingelheim also sponsors the angels initiative: a programme that helps doctors to set up and optimise acute stroke networks with the support of local and international stroke societies.