In 2004-2005, the Third National Retrospective Sample Survey on Causes of Death, organized by the Ministry of Health (now the National Health and Family Planning Commission), showed that the top three diseases causing death among urban and rural residents in China were cerebrovascular diseases, malignant tumors and respiratory diseases, and the death and disease burden of stroke in China far exceeded that of ischemic heart disease. Stroke usually manifests itself as sudden onset of distorted mouth, hemiplegia, speech disorder, difficulty in swallowing, or even unconsciousness, etc. It is mainly divided into: ischemic stroke (or “cerebral infarction”, “cerebral infarction”) and hemorrhagic stroke (or “Brain hemorrhage”), the former accounting for about 65%. I am often asked by patients how they can tell when a stroke will occur. My answer is that we cannot predict when a stroke will occur, but we can prevent it through standardized interventions; and effectively improve the patient’s prognosis and quality of life through early and aggressive treatment. Stroke: how to prevent it? The vast majority of strokes can be effectively prevented by standardized interventions. These interventions include: 1. Lifestyle improvement: It is recommended that healthy adults should get at least 40 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic exercise (such as brisk walking, jogging, cycling or other aerobic metabolic exercise) at least three to four times a week, quit smoking, and drink a small amount of alcohol. Active control of risk factors: Hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, obesity and atrial fibrillation are risk factors for stroke. Regular testing of blood pressure, blood glucose and blood lipids is recommended. Patients with clearly diagnosed hypertension and diabetes need to receive standardized antihypertensive and hypoglycemic treatment. Overweight (BMI=25-29 kg/m2) and obese (BMI>30 kg/m2) patients are recommended to reduce the risk of stroke by weight loss. Patients with atrial fibrillation have a significantly higher risk of stroke and need to develop individualized treatment plans under the guidance of their physicians. 3. Antithrombotic and statin therapy: Patients with previous cerebral infarction have a high risk of stroke recurrence and need long-term antithrombotic (aspirin, clopidogrel, cilostazol, etc.) and statin drugs to prevent recurrence. For patients who have never had an infarction, the use of antithrombotics and statins needs to be regulated under the guidance of a specialist. Stroke: how is it treated? The most effective treatment is intravenous recombinant tissue-type fibrinogen activator (rt-PA), which dissolves the clot and recanalizes the blood vessel. In patients with cerebral infarction in the presence of large vessel occlusion, intravascular thrombus retrieval based on intravenous thrombolysis can significantly improve the prognosis and reduce mortality in patients with severe cerebral infarction. However, the use of these emergency treatments is strictly limited to 4.5-6 hours after onset, and the sooner the patient receives revascularization after onset, the better the outcome, since 1.9 million nerve cells die every minute after a cerebral infarction. However, less than 2% of patients in our country receive these emergency treatments for cerebral infarcts, and the reasons for this are many. But what we can do personally is to be familiar with the symptoms of stroke, that is, the FAST principle: F (Face) face: observe whether the face or the corners of the mouth are crooked when smiling, A (Arm) arm: hold both arms flat and observe whether one hand hangs down weakly, S (Speech) speech: whether slurred speech or inability to speak, T (Time) time: the above symptoms occur, should be sent to the hospital at the first time. The FAST principle can also be summarized as a simple recipe: slurred speech, crooked mouth, arm not raised, run to hospital. 2. Call 120 and take the patient to a hospital qualified for stroke emergency.