What is a stroke?
A: A stroke is a medical condition in which poor blood flow to the
brain
causes cell death.
What are the two main types of strokes?
A: Ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and hemorrhagic, due to bleeding.
Both cause parts of the brain to what?
A: Stop functioning properly.
Signs and symptoms of a stroke may include what?
A: An inability to move or feel on one side of the body, problems
understanding or speaking, dizziness, or loss of vision to one side.
Signs and symptoms often appear when?
A: Soon after the stroke has occurred.
If symptoms last less than one or two hours, the stroke
is a what?
A: A transient ischemic attack (TIA), also called a mini stroke.
A hemorrhagic stroke may also be associated with what?
A: A severe headache.
The symptoms of a stroke can be what?
A: Permanent.
Long-term complications may include pneumonia and loss
of what?
A: Bladder control.
What is the main risk factor for stroke?
A: High blood pressure.
Other risk factors include what?
A: High blood cholesterol, tobacco smoking, obesity,
diabetes mellitus, a
previous TIA, end-stage kidney disease, and atrial fibrillation.
An ischemic stroke is typically caused by what?
A: A blockage of a blood vessel, though there are also less common causes.
A hemorrhagic stroke is caused by what?
A: Either bleeding directly into the brain or into the space between the
brain's membranes.
Bleeding may occur due to a what?
A: Ruptured brain aneurysm.
Diagnosis is typically based on a physical exam and
supported by medical imaging such as what?
A: A CT scan or MRI scan.
A CT scan can rule out bleeding but may not necessarily
rule out what?
A: Ischemia, which early on typically does not show up on a CT scan.
Low blood sugar may cause what?
A: Similar symptoms.
Prevention includes decreasing risk factors, surgery to
open up the arteries to the brain in those with problematic carotid
narrowing, and warfarin in people with what?
A: Atrial fibrillation.
Aspirin or statins may be recommended by physicians for
what?
A: Prevention.
An ischemic stroke, if detected within three to four
and half hours, may be treatable with what?
A: A medication that can break down the clot.
Some hemorrhagic strokes benefit from what?
A: Surgery.
Treatment to attempt recovery of lost function is
called what?
A: Stroke rehabilitation, and ideally takes place in a stroke unit.
In 2013, how many people had an ischemic stroke?
A: Approximately 6.9 million and 3.4 million people had a hemorrhagic
stroke.
In 2015, stroke was the second most frequent cause of
death after what?
A: Coronary artery disease, accounting for 6.3 million deaths (11% of the
total).
About half of people who have had a stroke live how
long?
A: Less than one year.
Overall, two thirds of strokes occurred in what group?
A: Those over 65 years old.
