Risk Factors and Stroke Prevention (Part 1)
A stroke is an interruption of blood supply to any part of the brain, sometimes called “brain attack.”
There are two main types of stroke: ischemic stroke and hemorrhagic stroke.
When a blood vessel supplying the brain becomes blocked by a blood clot, it is called ischemic stroke. The blockage of the artery can happen in two ways.
* You can form a clot in an artery that is already very close and is called a thrombus. If you block the artery completely, is called thrombotic stroke.
* A blood clot may become dislodged from part of the body and travel to the brain to block a smaller artery. This is called an embolism, causing an embolic stroke.
A second major cause of stroke is bleeding in the brain. This is called a hemorrhagic stroke can occur when small blood vessels in the brain become weak and burst.
Some people have defects in blood vessels of the brain that make this more likely. The flow of blood that occurs after the rupture of blood vessels causes damage to neurons.
Men have more strokes than women.
RISK FACTORS FOR STROKE
Risk factors for atherosclerosis and narrowing of the arteries, which can lead to stroke include:
* Hypertension
* Cigarette smoking increases the risk of most types of stroke. People who smoke a pack a day are more than twice the risk of stroke compared to nonsmokers.
* Diabetes
* Heart
* High cholesterol
* Excessive alcohol consumption
* Kidney disease, especially when dialysis is needed
* Cocaine
* Family history of stroke
* Increasing age