Aquileo | Ischemic stroke | Healthy Hearts & Bodies with Heartstrong

Women Unaware of the Warning Signs of a Stroke

05/20/2010

On average in this country it takes a woman 45 minutes longer to seek care for a heart attack or stroke. A new online survey may help explain why…

Only one in four women aged 25 to 75 could name at least 2 symptoms of a stroke.

Women surveyed weren’t aware that women suffer more strokes than men.

One-quarter of the women surveyed were unaware that stroke could happen at any age.

Black and Hispanic women knew fewer facts about stroke than white women.

The main symptoms of a stroke are:

Sudden difficulty speaking, understanding speech, or confusion
Sudden numbness or weakness in the limbs, particularly on one side
Sudden facial drooping or numbness and weakness on one side of the face
Sudden balance problems, dizziness or trouble walking
Sudden difficulty seeing with one or both eyes
Sudden severe headache (the worst headache you’ve ever had in your life)

When someone has a stroke they may only experience one or two of these symptoms or may experience several symptoms depending on the location of the brain being affected. A stroke is also called a “Brain Attack” so just like a heart attack you need to get to the hospital as quickly as possible in order to prevent permanent damage. If you or someone you know is experiencing any of the above symptoms call 911 and get to the hospital as quickly as possible!

Uncontrolled high blood pressure is one of the leading causes of stroke. Remember high blood pressure is called the silent killer because most people do not have any symptoms when their blood pressure is elevated. The only way to know for sure that your blood pressure is elevated is to get it checked on a regular basis. Just because you are taking blood pressure medications does not mean your blood pressure is controlled. Goal blood pressure numbers for men and women are less than 120/80. If you do not know your blood pressure – what are you waiting for get it checked today.

For more heart healthy information please visit www.heart-strong.com

This online-only survey included 2,000 women in the United States, and was undertaken on behalf of HealthyWomen in conjunction with the American College of Emergency Physicians and National Stroke Association.

2 Comments | "heart attack", African American women, Blood Pressure, Carotid artery, Heart Disease and Stroke during pregnancy, high blood pressure, hypertension, Ischemic stroke, Stroke, Women and Stroke, Women's Health | Tagged: brain attack, high blood pressure, Ischemic stroke, silent killer, Stroke, stroke symptoms, symptoms of stroke, women stroke | Permalink
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Carotid Artery Stenting vs Carotid Artery Surgery: Is there a Difference?

04/29/2010

If you have a carotid stenosis you could be at an increased risk for a stroke. Carotid artery surgery (carotid endarterectomy) has been the treatment of choice for many years. Carotid artery stenting is a less invasive option. But for many years a controversy has existed – which is the better treatment? Carotid Endarterectomy or Carotid Stenting???

The CREST (Carotid Revascularization Endarterectomy Vs Stenting Trial) was devised specifically to answer this question and the results were presented recently at the 2010 International Stroke Conference. Over 2,500 patients were enrolled in this trial from 117 US and Canadian sites. So what did the study show???

There was no significant difference in the risk of stroke, heart attack or death during the procedure and no difference in stroke during the 2.5 year follow-up period.

People over 69 years of age had better outcomes with surgery and people younger than 69 had better outcomes with stenting.

There was no difference in outcomes among men and women or symptomatic and asymptomatic patients.

Dr Wesley Moore who was a co-principal investigator in this study stated that stroke rates were lower with carotid surgery but when heart attacks were added to the adverse outcomes the results of the two procedures became similar.

What must be remembered is that only the most experienced physicians and hospitals were included in this study. So in order to receive the same benefits and low rate of adverse outcomes with either procedure you need to make sure you undergo a procedure at a hospital with a physician who is well experienced.

Looking for more health and wellness info visit www.heart-strong.com

2 Comments | Carotid artery, cholesterol, Ischemic stroke, Stroke, Uncategorized | Tagged: Carotid artery, carotid artery endarterectomy, carotid artery stenosis, carotid artery stenting, carotid artery surgery, Ischemic stroke, Stroke | Permalink
Posted by heartstrong

Carotid Artery Stenting Can Prevent Strokes

08/16/2009

Stroke remains the third leading cause of death and first leading cause of long term disability among adult Americans. In the United States approximately every forty-five seconds someone has a stroke. About eighty percent of strokes are ischemic (meaning it is due to a lack of blood supply to the brain) and fifty percent of these ischemic strokes are caused by a significant carotid artery (neck artery leading up to the brain) stenosis (narrowing). The primary cause of ischemic strokes is the development of plaque (cholesterol and fat accumulation) and then subsequent thrombus (blood clot) formation and/or debris that travels up the carotid blood vessels and occludes one of the blood vessels supplying the brain. Cholesterol and plaque typically develops at the opening or branching of blood vessels. The internal carotid artery travels up the neck to supply the middle cerebral and anterior cerebral artery in the brain, and if occluded can lead to a significant stroke.

Carotid endarterectomy (which is a surgical procedure where cholesterol and plaque is scraped out of the neck arteries) has been the most common surgical procedure performed in the United States and the gold standard for preventing ischemic strokes. Large randomized trials performed over the past twenty years have demonstrated the superiority of carotid artery surgery over medical therapy (medications) in preventing ischemic strokes in patients with either a symptomatic or an asymptomatic severe carotid artery narrowings.

Carotid artery angioplasty and stenting has been around for about twenty years but initial procedure results were not favorable. Early angioplasty/stenting procedures revealed that during balloon inflation little pieces of the carotid plaque can dislodge and can travel up into the brain blood vessels and lead to a stroke. Studies utilizing an embolic/distal protection (little umbrella or filter) device during carotid stenting found that between 7 to 145 particles would have traveled into the brain circulation during each procedure if these filters were not used. Recent improvements in the stent technology and use of embolic/distal protection devices have now demonstrated that balloons and stents for carotid disease may be a beneficial alternative to surgery especially for high risk patients.