Stroke is a major cause of disability and death in Europe. In recent years large scale clinical trials have provided the evidence base for clinical approaches to primary and secondary prevention of stroke.
New imaging techniques now enable to diagnose stroke more rapidly and precisely. The progress in treatment was made through the availability of lytic therapy for ischemic stroke, the most common type of brain attack. With the currently available treatment options further improvements in this area to a large extent depend on improved delivery of health care.