No time to lose in dealing with stroke
By Yoon Ja-youngDoctors stress that patients should be transferred to a hospital within two or three hours when signs of stroke occur. / Korea Times fileMargaret Thatcher, a former British prime minister who was also known as the “Iron Lady,” passed away this week. Earlier this month, Bori, a famous Korean photographer and Park Sang-gyu, a popular singer and TV show host, also died. As all three died of strokes, people are wondering what causes these and how to prevent them.Strokes happen when blood flow to the brain is stopped. An adult’s brain weighs around 1,400 grams, or around 2.5 percent of the body weight, but it needs around 20 percent of the blood that flows from the heart. This demonstrates how dependent the brain is on blood — it uses oxygen and glucose supplied in it to make energy necessary for it to function. Hence, when there are cerebrovascular problems, the functions of the brain are directly affected. As the brain is the regulat
Apr 12, 2013By Yoon Ja-young