Stroke: A Leading Cause Of Death Worldwide

Stroke is a leading cause of death worldwide. On average, every 40 seconds, someone in the United States has a stroke (Go et al., 2013). Moreover, the rate of stroke increases by more than double every decade for people over the age of 55. Thus, as the annual number of strokes increases due to the aging population, an increasingly greater financial and social burden will be placed on the world (Broughton et al., 2013). Accordingly, it is of great importance to find treatments and preventative methods for stroke.
Stroke is caused by a lack of oxygen to the brain, which occurs as a result of a sudden disruption of the blood flow to the brain. The loss of oxygen and nutrient supply from the blood results in neuronal death within minutes (Broughton