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[Most of us know that a stroke is caused by some form of interruption ]
[of blood supply to the brain, usually by a blood clot, ]
[or maybe because a blood vessel in the brain has burst.]
[But what is less well recognized is that stroke is a real medical emergency.]
[Rapid access to diagnosis and treatment can make the difference between]
[walking out of a hospital to independent living or a lifetime of disability.]
[We need to recognize stroke for the medical emergency that it is.]
[We all know how important it is to get quick treatment for heart attack victims;]
[well, stroke is no different.]
[We need to change the way we respond to stroke]
[and treat it as that medical emergency; a brain attack.]
[It would be inconceivable to delay diagnosis for a heart attack victim, ]
[but sadly, that's the reality for many stroke victims today,]
[who do not get a proper and full diagnosis within those critical first few hours after an attack.]
[Fifteen million people each year are diagnosed with a stroke,]
[so you can begin to imagine the personal, social, and economic impact that that has, ]
[and the number suffering from stroke is set to increase. ]
[But there is a lot that can be done, and is being done, to improve the situation.]
[We can each make ourselves familiar with the signs and symptoms of a stroke.]
[After all, the next victim could be a friend, a neighbor, or a colleague.]
[The medical community needs to find and implement ways ]
[to ensure that eveyone who has a suspected stroke ]
[has access to the early imaging, full diagnosis, and appropriate treatment ]
[to improve the clinical outcome.]
[And we need to raise awareness that a mini-stroke, or a TIA as they're sometimes called,]
[can increase the risk of a major stroke, ]
[and therefore needs to be assessed and monitored effectively.]
[There's a huge challenge for everyone and each has a role to play.]
[Whether it be the general population--the general public--]
[the government and, of course, medical professionals.]
[We need to change the way in which we see and manage stroke patients]
[to improve their chances for a positive clinical outcome.]
[And with brain attacks affecting so many millions of people worldwide each year, ]
