Stroke Health Article

Risk factors

Risk factors for stroke involve age, sex, heredity, predisposing diseases or other medical conditions, and lifestyle choices, including:

• Age and sex. The risk of stroke increases with increasing age, doubling for each decade after age 55. Men are more likely to have a stroke than women.
• Heredity. Blacks, Asians, and Hispanics all have higher rates of stroke than do whites, related partly to higher blood pressure. People with a family history of stroke are at greater risk.
• Diseases. Stroke risk is increased for people with diabetes, heart disease (especially atrial fibrillation), high blood pressure, prior stroke, or TIA. Risk of stroke increases tenfold for someone with one or more TIAs.
• Other medical conditions. Stroke risk increases with obesity, high blood cholesterol level, or high red blood cell count.
• Lifestyle choices. Stroke risk increases with cigarette smoking (especially if combined with the use of oral contraceptives), low level of physical activity, alcohol consumption above two drinks per day, or use of cocaine or intravenous drugs.

Symptoms

Symptoms of an embolic stroke usually come on quite suddenly and are at their most intense right from the start, while symptoms of a thrombotic stroke come on more gradually. Symptoms may include:

• blurring or decreased vision in one or both eyes
• severe headache
• weakness, numbness, or paralysis of the face, arm, or leg, usually confined to one side of the body
• dizziness, loss of balance or coordination, especially when combined with other symptoms

Diagnosis

The diagnosis of stroke is begun with a careful medical history, especially concerning the onset and distribution of symptoms, presence of risk factors, and the exclusion of other possible causes. A brief neurological exam is performed to identify the degree and location of any deficits such as weakness, incoordination, or visual losses.

Once stroke is suspected, a computed tomography (CT) scan or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan is performed to distinguish a stroke caused by blood clot from one caused by hemorrhage, a critical distinction that guides therapy. Blood and urine tests are done routinely to look for possible abnormalities.

Other investigations that may be performed to guide treatment include an electrocardiogram, angiography, ultrasound, and electroencephalogram.

Treatment team

Stroke treatment involves a multidisciplinary team. Physicians are responsible for caring for the stroke survivor's general health and providing guidance aimed at preventing a second stroke. Neurologists usually lead acute-care stroke teams and direct patient care during hospitalization. The team may include a physiatrist (a specialist in rehabilitation), a rehabilitation nurse, a physical therapist, an occupational therapist, a speech-language pathologist, a social worker, a psychologist, and a vocational counselor.

Emergency treatment

Emergency treatment of stroke from a blood clot is aimed at dissolving the clot. This "thrombolytic therapy" is currently performed most often with tissue plasminogen activator, or t-PA. This t-PA must be administered within three hours of the stroke event. Therefore, patients who awaken with stroke symptoms are ineligible for t-PA therapy, as the time of onset cannot be accurately determined. The t-PA therapy has been shown to improve recovery and decrease long-term disability in selected patients. The t-PA therapy carries a 6.4% risk of inducing a cerebral hemorrhage, and is not appropriate for patients with bleeding disorders, very high blood pressure, known aneurysms, any evidence of intracranial hemorrhage, or incidence of stroke, head trauma, or intracranial surgery within the past three months. Patients with clot-related (thrombotic or embolic) stroke who are ineligible for t-PA treatment may be treated with heparin or other blood thinners, or with aspirin or other anti-clotting agents in some cases.

Emergency treatment of hemorrhagic stroke is aimed at controlling intracranial pressure. Intravenous urea or mannitol plus hyperventilation are the most common treatments. Corticosteroids may also be used. Patients with reversible bleeding disorders such as those due to anticoagulant treatment should have these bleeding disorders reversed, if possible.

Surgery for hemorrhage due to aneurysm may be performed if the aneurysm is close enough to the cranial surface to allow access. Ruptured vessels are closed off to prevent rebleeding. For aneurysms that are difficult to reach surgically, endovascular treatment may be used. In this procedure, a catheter is guided from a larger artery up into the brain to reach the aneurysm. Small coils of wire are discharged into the aneurysm, which plug it up and block off blood flow from the main artery.