It creeps up on you unawares and attacks suddenly. One day you are fine and leading a nation. The next day you are in a coma at a hospital.
The collapse of Japan's former Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi has served as a fresh reminder of the devastation caused by stroke. As the very name indicates, the disease strikes abruptly, often with catastrophic results.
Some might interpret the Obuchi incident as proof that nothing can be done when a stroke hits. Indeed, the disease has long been viewed as fatal and untreatable, drawing much less attention from the public, doctors and the government than other diseases such as cancer and heart attacks.