The high cost of stroke to society, the family, and the patient.

Stroke is the third leading cause of mortality in the United States, after heart disease and cancer, and is a major cause of adult disability. Stroke-related neurologic deficits affect language, cognition, and motor function. They are often persistent, exerting a negative effect on the patient's quality of life. Besides affecting the patient, stroke also places a heavy emotional burden on the caregivers of patients with stroke. In the United States, the medical and nonmedical costs of caring for patients with stroke during the first year after their stroke are $30 billion/year, or approximately $50,000/patient. Many strokes are preventable, however, through judicious medical or surgical therapies. In addition, emerging thrombolytic and neuroprotective drugs, administered early after stroke onset, may minimize or eliminate some of the residual deficits associated with stroke. A massive educational effort is needed to raise public and professional awareness about stroke and emerging stroke therapies.