BEIJING, June 28 -- Stroke has become China's number two lethal disease and number one cause for disability.

    The Chinese Society of Neurology under the Chinese Medical Association appealed to people to pay attention to this killer disease and reduce the number of those afflicted and lower the mortality and disability rates through reinforcing early preventive measures.

    According to Professor Wang Yongjun of the Chinese Medical Association, China currently has about 7 million people afflicted with strokes, with the number of those killed by the disease each year around 1.5 million.

    About two-thirds of those afflicted with strokes are disabled, creating heavy burdens for their families and for society. Without adopting effective preventive measures, the number of China's stroke victims will double by 2020.

    Stroke is a type of sudden illness. The most common variety is caused by blood clots or weak blood flow leading to lack of oxygen or insufficient nutrients for the brain and is called ischemic stroke. Another cause of strokes is the burst of blood vessels inside the brain, leading to massive hemorrhage inside the brain and its periphery and is called hemorrhagic stroke.

    After a stroke, brain cells die rapidly due to lack of oxygen or insufficient nutrients. At the same time, the bodily functions controlled by these dying brain cells will begin to deteriorate, sometimes resulting in the death of the patient.

    (Source: chinanews)