Stroke: pathophysiology from the biomedical system perspective and its equivalent in the traditional Chinese medicine

Stroke is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. From a pathophysiological perspective, strokes are triggered by brain tissue hypoxia, which produces a functional and structural damage of the interconnected cellular and non-cellular network formed by the neurovascular unit and the extracellular matrix. In response to the damage, this network initiates and maintains the tissue repair process. Despite this, stroke is not limited to a molecular event, but also encompasses the life story of the patients who suffer from this condition and have to integrate it into their physical, emotional and mental dimensions. With this in mind, the needs of the approach and treatment of patients can be satisfied by other medical systems such as traditional Chinese medicine, which considers the signs and symptoms of stroke as the result of a disharmony created and perpetuated by environmental, emotional and mental causes, as well as by lifestyle