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Walter Cronkite Dead at 92 from Vascular Disease of the Brain

By on July 17, 2009

About a month ago, TV broadcasting icon Walter Cronkite, 92, was reported to be “gravely ill”and not expected to recuperate, but no other information about his condition is available at this time. He died today and we now know that it was due to cerebrovascular disease or stroke. In the United States more than 700,000 people suffer a stroke each year, and approximately two-thirds of these individuals survive and require rehabilitation.

Symptoms of a Stroke

If you see or have one or more of these symptoms, don’t wait, call 911 immediately!
  • Sudden numbness or weakness of face, arm, or leg, especially on one side of the body
  • Sudden confusion or trouble speaking or understanding speech
  • Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
  • Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, or loss of balance or coordination
  • Sudden severe headache with no known cause
Treatment can be more effective if given quickly. Every minute counts!

Left: An ischemic stroke occurs when a blood vessel supplying the brain becomes blocked, as by a clot.
Right: A hemorrhagic stroke occurs when a blood vessel bursts, leaking blood into the brain.

Mark Boguski, M.D., Ph.D. is on the faculty of Harvard Medical School and is a member of the Society for Participatory Medicine, "a movement in which networked patients shift from being mere passengers to responsible drivers of their health" and in which professional health care providers encourage "empowered patients" and value them as full partners in managing their health and wellness.
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