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  • Stroke

    Stroke

    When plaque builds up in the arteries, blood flow can be limited to the whole body, including the brain. When that happens, it can cause a stroke. It's important to recognize the symptoms of a stroke and respond immediately so you get prompt treatment with medicines and procedures, such as angioplasty, that restore blood flow to the brain.

  • Heart & Vascular Disease

    Coronary Artery Disease

    Coronary artery disease, or CAD, is a build-up of fat and cholesterol in the arteries that supply blood to your heart. These deposits, which are called plaques, grow slowly over decades and can sometimes become hardened with fibrous tissue and calcium. As the plaques grow, in a disease process called atherosclerosis, portions of the artery become clogged and narrowed. If an artery is severely obstructed, it reduces blood flow to the heart and can cause chest pain or even a heart attack.

    Stroke Risk Factors

    Among the factors that increase the chance of stroke, some are out of our control. Those we inherit from our parents are, for example, beyond our control.

    Treatment Options for Carotid Artery Disease

    For the last 50 years, a diagnosis of narrowing, or stenosis, in the carotid arteries would most likely result in a recommendation of surgery to prevent stroke. Surgery to remove plaque from the carotid arteries, called a carotid endarterectomy, is still a viable and life-saving procedure that is performed today. However, now more than ever, physicians have latitude to assess the degree of narrowing in the arteries, the age of the patient, and other factors to determine the best course of treatment.

    What is Cardiovascular Disease?

    Cardiovascular disease refers to a broad range of diseases that cause narrowing of the blood vessels or weaken the artery walls, resulting in disruptions in efficient blood flow. Included under the broad umbrella of cardiovascular disease are coronary artery disease, heart attack, stroke, peripheral artery disease (PAD), renal (kidney) artery disease, heart failure and high blood pressure. While these conditions may affect different parts of the body, they often share the same underlying cause: atherosclerosis (pronounced ath-row-sklee-rosis), or “hardening” of the arteries.

    Women and Stroke

    Stroke, the leading cause of disability in the U.S., like heart disease, is also a disease shared by women. Twice as many women will die of stroke than breast cancer each year. According to the National Women’s Health Information Center, experts believe that as many as 80 percent of strokes could be prevented.

    Your Stroke Care Team

    Your primary care physician may be the first to determine that you have risk factors for a stroke, heart attack and other cardiovascular disease. He or she may initiate treatments, such as dietary changes, exercise and medications to control your risk factors.

  • Tests & Diagnostics

    Evaluation for Stroke

    Prompt evaluation and initiation of treatment are central to optimal outcomes for stroke patients.

  • Treatment & Prevention

    Conquering Stroke – Just as We Have Heart Attack

    Over the past 30 years, improvements in the treatment of heart attack have dramatically reduced the number of deaths and disabilities caused by heart attack, which occurs when blood flow to the heart muscle is blocked.

    Hemorrhagic Stroke

    Hemorrhagic stroke may be treated with surgery or interventional procedures. Depending on the stroke’s cause, your doctor may choose one of the following procedures:

    Ischemic Stroke Treatments

    Medications to break up clots. Quick treatment – within three hours of the beginning of a stroke – with “clot-busting” drugs can improve the chance of survival and reduce the likelihood of disabilities.

    Preventing Stroke

    Anyone can have a stroke. But according to the National Stroke Association, 80 percent of all strokes can be prevented.

    Stopping and Preventing Strokes

    Stroke can occur if the branch of the carotid arteries (located in the neck) that carries blood to the brain becomes narrowed or blocked due to a build up of plaque or the formation of a blood clot.

    Stroke Recovery and Resources

    An estimated five million Americans are living today after surviving stroke. As more people become aware of the warning signs of stroke and of the importance of seeking medical care quickly, as more effective treatments are developed and as emergency medical systems become organized to get stroke victims to treatment as soon as possible, the number of stroke survivors will grow.

  • Resources

    Stroke

    SCAI Past President Dr. Jeffrey Popma interviews stroke intervention and neuro-rescue pioneer Dr. Christopher U. Cates about new simulation technology used for training doctors to perform carotid artery stenting. For some patients, carotid artery stenting is a good alternative to an open surgery called carotid endarterectomy to open blockages in the neck arteries and prevent stroke.