Who is susceptible to strokes

Statistics on stroke Australians will suffer more than half a million strokes in the next ten years, also: One in three people die within a year of having a stroke. Stroke kills more women than breast cancer. Almost one in five people who experience a stroke are under the age of Men are more likely to suffer a stroke and at a younger age.

Causes of stroke A stroke can occur as: a haemorrhagic stroke — an artery may rupture and cause bleeding into the brain tissue. Also called a cerebral haemorrhage an ischaemic stroke caused by atherosclerosis — an artery may become blocked by progressive thickening of its walls an ischaemic stroke caused by embolism — a clot blocks an artery and prevents blood getting to part of the brain.

Lifestyle-related factors that increase your risk of stroke include: high blood pressure cigarette smoking diabetes high blood cholesterol levels heavy drinking a diet high in fat particularly saturated and salt, but low in fibre, fruit and vegetables lack of regular exercise obesity. High blood pressure and stroke High blood pressure hypertension is the most significant risk factor for stroke.

Strategies to reduce high blood pressure include: Check your blood pressure regularly and know your numbers. Maintain a healthy weight for your height. Exercise regularly. Choose a low-fat, high-fibre diet.

Reduce or eliminate salt from your diet. Limit your alcohol intake to two or fewer standard drinks per day. Stop smoking. Take antihypertensive medications to help control high blood pressure. Atherosclerosis and stroke Atherosclerosis is an inflammatory disease of the walls of the arteries and is a major cause of stroke. Treatment for atherosclerosis includes: appropriate lifestyle changes medications that reduce the amount of fats circulating in the blood antiplatelet medications such as aspirin or anticoagulant drugs such as warfarin to prevent blood clots forming antihypertensive medications to reduce high blood pressure.

Carotid artery stenosis Hardening of the arteries in the neck carotid arteries can be a high risk for stroke, because these arteries are responsible for delivering blood to the brain. Smoking and stroke Smoking can double or even quadruple your risk of stroke. Strategies to quit smoking include: Call the Quitline for further advice and support. See your doctor for information and advice. Keep a smoking diary so that you are aware of your smoking triggers such as stress or boredom.

Ask your family and friends for support. If you smoke a cigarette, put it behind you and keep going. Diabetes and stroke Diabetes is a chronic condition in which the body is unable to utilise blood sugar. Strategies to reduce the effects of diabetes include: See your doctor regularly for check-ups. Monitor your blood sugar levels regularly. If you are on medication, make sure you are taking it correctly.

Cholesterol levels and stroke Cholesterol is a fat-like substance that is made by the human body. Strategies to lower blood cholesterol levels include: Have your blood cholesterol levels checked regularly by your doctor. Eat a high-fibre diet. Reduce your intake of saturated fats commonly found in animal products. Medications may be recommended. Alcohol and stroke Some studies have indicated that drinking moderate amounts of alcohol such as one or two standard drinks per day can actually reduce the risk of stroke.

Suggestions include: Limit your consumption to no more than two standard drinks per day. Have at least two alcohol-free days every week. See your doctor for information and referral if you are finding it difficult to limit your alcohol intake.

Diet and stroke Various studies show that diet is an important risk factor in the development of stroke. Suggestions include: Limit or moderate salt intake. Life support measures. These treatments include using a machine to help you breathe a ventilator , having IV fluids, getting proper nutrition, and controlling your blood pressure. This is a type of brain surgery that is done to remove blood clots, relieve pressure, or repair bleeding in the brain.

Recovery from stroke and the specific ability affected depends on the size and location of the stroke. Larger strokes may cause parts of your body to not be able to move be paralyzed. Larger strokes can also cause loss of speech or even death. Know your risk for stroke. Many stroke risk factors can be changed, treated, or medically modified.

Some things you can do to control your risk factors are listed below. Make healthy food choices. Be sure to get the recommended amounts of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Choose foods that are low in saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, salt sodium , and added sugars. Take your medicines as instructed by your healthcare provider.

The following medicines can help prevent stroke:. Blood-thinning medicines anticoagulants help prevent blood clots from forming.

If you take a blood thinner, you may need regular blood tests. Antiplatelets, such as aspirin, are prescribed for many stroke patients. They make blood clots less likely to form. Aspirin is available over the counter. Blood-pressure medicines help lower high blood pressure. You may need to take more than one blood-pressure medicine. Cholesterol-lowering drugs make plaque less likely to build up in your artery walls, which can reduce the risk for stroke.

Diabetes medicines adjust blood sugar levels. This can prevent problems that lead to stroke. Several types of surgery may be done to help treat a stroke, or help to prevent one. These include:. Carotid endarterectomy. Carotid endarterectomy is surgery to remove plaque and clots from the carotid arteries, located in the neck. These arteries supply the brain with blood from the heart. Endarterectomy may help stop a stroke from occurring.

Carotid stenting. A large metal coil stent is placed in the carotid artery much like a stent is placed in a coronary artery. Surgery to repair aneurysms and AVMs arteriovenous malformations. An aneurysm is a weakened, ballooned area on an artery wall.

It is at risk for bursting rupturing and bleeding into the brain. An AVM is a tangle of arteries and veins. It interferes with blood circulation and puts you at risk for bleeding. PFO patent foramen ovale closure. The foramen ovale is an opening that occurs in the wall between the 2 upper chambers of the heart.

This opening usually closes right after birth. If the flap does not close, any clots or air bubbles can pass into the brain circulation. This can cause a stroke or TIA transient ischemic attack. However, experts are still debating whether the PFO should be closed. How a stroke affects you depends on where the stroke occurs in your brain.

It also depends on how much your brain is damaged. Some people may need long-term physical rehabilitation.

They may not be able to live in their home without help. Strokes can happen again. If you have repeated damage to your brain tissue, you may be at risk for life-long permanent disabilities.

A stroke happens when blood flow to your brain is stopped. It can be caused by a narrowed blood vessel, bleeding, or a clot that blocks blood flow. Symptoms can happen suddenly. If someone is showing any sign of a stroke, call immediately. You have a better chance of recovering from a stroke if emergency treatment is started right away. How a stroke affects you depends on where the stroke occurs in your brain, and on how much your brain is damaged. Health Home Conditions and Diseases Stroke.

For example, a stroke may affect your ability to: Move Speak Eat Think and remember Control your bowel and bladder Control your emotions Control other vital body functions A stroke can happen to anyone at any time. When there has been significant damage, your doctor may call it a massive stroke.

This can mean more severe complications. After having a stroke, you may develop complications such as:. Your doctor will diagnose a stroke based on your signs and symptoms , your medical history, a physical exam, and test results.

Your doctor will ask you or a family member about your risk factors for stroke. Tell your doctor if you or someone in your family has had a stroke. Your doctor will also ask about your signs and symptoms and when they began. The exam will help your doctor determine how severe your stroke was and plan your treatment.

Your doctor will look for signs of carotid artery disease , a common cause of ischemic stroke. He or she will listen to your carotid arteries with a stethoscope. A whooshing sound called a bruit may suggest changed or reduced blood flow due to plaque buildup in the carotid arteries. Your doctor will order tests to help rule out other health problems with similar signs or symptoms.

Your doctor will order an imaging test to look at the blood vessels in your brain. This will help determine what type of stroke you have and where exactly it happened. The quicker these tests can be done, the better your doctor can treat you.

Tests to diagnose stroke include the following:. Your doctor may also order the following blood or heart tests. A stroke requires emergency care. You will probably receive treatment in a specialized stroke unit of the hospital.

A team of specialists will oversee your care. Treatment will depend on whether the stroke was ischemic or hemorrhagic, how much time has passed since symptoms began, and whether you have other medical conditions.

This animation discusses different treatments for stroke. Treatment for a stroke depends on whether it is ischemic or hemorrhagic but may include medicines or a procedure. Treatment for an ischemic stroke or transient ischemic TIA may include medicines and medical procedures. The main treatment for an ischemic stroke is a medicine called tissue plasminogen activator tPA.

It breaks up the blood clots that block blood flow to your brain. A doctor will inject tPA into a vein in your arm. This type of medicine must be given within 3 hours after your symptoms start.

In some cases, it is given up to 4. The sooner treatment begins, the better your chances of recovery. If you cannot have tPA, your doctor may give an anticoagulant or blood thinning medicine, such as aspirin or clopidrogrel. This helps stop blood clots from forming or getting larger. The main side effect of these medicines is bleeding.

You may need a procedure to open up blocked arteries and restore blood flow to the brain. This can be done several ways. A thrombectomy removes the clot from the blood vessel. A surgeon will put a long, flexible tube called a catheter into your groin upper thigh and thread it to the blocked artery in your neck or brain.

They will then use angioplasty and stenting or a device called a stent retriever to open up the blocked artery. If carotid artery disease caused your stroke, your doctor may suggest carotid endarterectomy , a surgery to remove plaque from the carotid artery in your neck.

Hemorrhagic stroke can happen suddenly and grow worse quickly. Just as with an ischemic stroke, getting treatment as quickly as possible is essential for a full recovery. The type of treatment you receive depends on what part of your brain is bleeding and how severe it is. You may be given blood pressure medicine to lower the pressure and strain on blood vessels in the brain. You will also be taken off any anticoagulant or blood-thinning medicines that may have led to bleeding.

Depending on the type of medicine you were taking, you may be given vitamin K to help stop bleeding. In addition to treating the blockage or bleeding causing the stroke, your healthcare team may suggest additional treatments or tests. Stroke is a life-threatening condition that can cause severe disability. Palliative care or hospice care may help some patients have a better quality of life with fewer symptoms. It can take weeks, months, or even years to recover from a stroke.

Some people recover fully, while others have long-term or lifelong disabilities. A stroke team will work with you to manage your care.

Your team may include specialists in neurology brain, spinal cord, and nerves , rehabilitation, or mental health. You will also want to take steps to prevent another stroke and be aware of possible long-term complications. Call if you have any signs of another stroke. Heart-healthy lifestyle changes can help you recover from a stroke and may help prevent another one.

It is important to get routine medical care after your stroke. Follow your treatment plan and talk with your doctor about how often you should schedule office visits. After a stroke, you may need rehabilitation rehab to help you recover. Rehab may include working with speech, physical, and occupational therapists.

Your care team may also recommend medicines to manage pain, muscle spasms, or other problems as you recover. Canes, braces, grab bars, special eating utensils, wheelchairs, and other devices can make it easier to keep doing your regular activities after a stroke. After a stroke, you may have changes in your behavior or judgment.

For example, your mood may change quickly. Because of these and other changes, you may feel scared, anxious, and depressed. Recovering from a stroke can be slow and frustrating. Some people develop symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder PTSD. Talk about how you feel with your healthcare team. Your doctor may recommend:. Your doctor may recommend strategies to help prevent another stroke. This will depend on what caused your first stroke. If you recognize any signs of stroke, call right away.

The most common side effect of taking blood thinners to reduce your stroke risk is bleeding. This happens if the medicine thins your blood too much. This side effect can be life-threatening. Bleeding can occur inside your body cavities or from the surface of your skin. Know the warning signs of bleeding so you can get help right away. They include:. Easy bruising or bleeding may mean that your blood is too thin. Call your doctor right away if you have any of these signs. If you have severe bleeding, call We are committed to advancing science and translating discoveries into clinical practice to promote the prevention and treatment of heart, lung, blood, and sleep disorders, including stroke.

Learn about current and future NHLBI efforts to improve health through research and scientific discovery. Learn about the following ways the NHLBI continues to translate current research into ways to prevent, diagnose, and treat stroke.

Learn about some of the pioneering research contributions we have made over the years that have improved clinical care. In support of our mission , we are committed to advancing stroke research in part through the following ways. We lead or sponsor many studies on stroke. See if you or someone you know is eligible to participate in our clinical trials and observational studies.

Learn more about participating in a clinical trial. View all trials from ClinicalTrials. Visit Children and Clinical Studies to hear experts, parents, and children talk about their experiences with clinical research. After reading our Stroke Health Topic, you may be interested in additional information found in the following resources. Also known as Cerebrovascular accident , Ischemic stroke , Hemorrhagic stroke , Transient ischemic attack. Reduce it: Men should have no more than one to two drinks per day; women should have no more than one.

A single drink is at most 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine or 1. Goldstein warns. These include:. Find out your BMI , a number determined by your weight and height. Weight-related risks tend to occur together in metabolic syndrome — which is a cluster of these and other conditions — and stroke is one of the key dangers of having it. Reduce it: Losing as little as 10 pounds can significantly reduce stroke risk factors , such as lowering blood pressure and improving cholesterol levels.

Eating more fruits and vegetables is key in any weight-loss plan. A Mediterranean diet that includes nuts, olive oil and whole grains may also help reduce your risk of stroke. Lack of exercise The stroke risk: A sedentary lifestyle increases your risk for stroke and a lot of the factors that contribute to it.

Reduce it: Get 30 minutes of moderate exercise, such as brisk walking or biking, at least five days a week. Even bouts of activity lasting as little as 10 minutes count. High blood pressure The stroke risk: High blood pressure may be the single most important treatable risk for stroke. That in turn can make artery walls thick and stiff, which can contribute to blockages and clots that lead to ischemic stroke.

High blood pressure can also cause weak spots in artery walls that can lead to ruptures and bleeding that are typical of hemorrhagic stroke. Make sure a doctor, nurse — or even a blood pressure machine in your local pharmacy — measures your blood pressure at least once a year.