One in two men, and one in three women after the age of 40, will develop a stroke in their lifetime. The burden of cerebrovascular disease extends far beyond that of acute clinical events such as stroke, with "covert" vascular injury on brain MRI being highly prevalent in older community-dwelling persons. Therefore, improving our understanding of the risk factors for stroke and cerebrovascular disease is of paramount importance for improving prevention strategies. Secular trends in stroke epidemiology, risk factors, and intermediate markers (including carotid ultrasound, brain MRI and circulating biomarkers) are presented. Cutting edge information on genetic, environmental and lifestyle-related risk factors of various subtypes of stroke and MRI-markers of cerebrovascular diseases are displayed. This important book is an essential reference to physicians interested in more effective primary prevention of stroke.