Stroke is a growing public health problem1 that has
remained a leading cause of death and the major
cause of disability in the United States and throughout the
world.2,3 According to the third national mortality retrospective
sampling survey in China,4 cerebrovascular disease
has become the leading cause of death in China and
is responsible for 22.5% of all deaths. This rate was 4 to
5 times that of European countries and the United States.