India, Nov. 4 -- One in four individuals is likely to have a stroke at some point in life, according to global data from the World Health Organisation and the World Stroke Organisation. Moreover, the Global Burden of Disease estimates that there were about 1.29 million incident strokes and 6,99,000 stroke-related deaths in India in 2019, showing how huge the burden is at the national level.

Dr Arun Shah, director-neurosciences, Sir HN Reliance Foundation Hospital in Mumbai, in a conversation with HT Lifestyle, explained that a stroke is a medical emergency that can cause permanent disability or death if treatment is delayed. "A brain stroke occurs when the blood supply to part of the brain is interrupted or when a blood vessel within the...