Burden of stroke in Israel.

Stroke is the third most common cause of death in Israel, similar to the United States and Europe. A decline in stroke mortality rates for the Israeli population is evident in the last decades. However, stroke is still a major health and economical burden in Israel and has recently been recognized by the Israeli health-care policy planners as a top priority disease. Action plans are being taken in order to establish a comprehensive infrastructure for the treatment of acute stroke patients.