Understand Stroke

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Understand Stroke

Whats is stroke

Stroke is a sudden interruption in the blood supply of the brain. Most strokes are caused by an abrupt blockage of arteries leading to the brain ( ischemic stroke). Other strokes are caused by bleeding into brain tissue when a blood vessel bursts ( hemorrhagic stroke). Because stroke occurs rapidly and requires immediate treatment, stroke is also called a brain attack. When the symptoms of a stroke last only a short time (less than 24 hours), this is called a transient ischemic attack (TIA) or mini-stroke.

Stroke

Stroke affects more than 600,000 Americans each year - including 150,000 deaths.

World

World wide stroke incidence is around 25 millions. World wide stroke mortality is 1 million per year.

Disability

Stroke is the leading cause of adult disability and the third leading cause of death in the United States.

Consequences

Stroke has many consequences. Including motor disability, seizures, depression, dementia, incontinence and many others.

Understand Stroke

Recognise stroke

Stroke is a medical emergency and can be treated if recognized in time (Brain is Time). Even if the symptoms pass quickly, they represent an important warning phenomenon, indicating an on going brain threat, which requires immediate and prompt medical attention.
The most common sign of stroke is sudden weakness of the face, arm or leg, most often on one side of the body.
To recognize stroke quickly, look for a tilted smile, inability to speak or weak arm raising.

THINK FAST

By learning the many warning signs of a stroke you can help save a life.

1 FACE

Ask the person to smile. Dose one side of the face drop?

2 ARMS

Ask the person to raise both arms.
Does oneside drift downward?

3 SPEECH

Ask the person to repeat a simple phrase. Is their speech slurred or strange?

Other signs

- Sudden numbness of the face, arm, or leg, especially on one side of the body
- Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding speech
- Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
- Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
- Sudden severe headache with no known cause

Understand Stroke

Prevent Stroke

As a leading cause of heart disease which can lead to stroke, high cholesterol is a controllable condition through diet, exercise and, in some cases, medications. Certain medical conditions greatly increase your likelihood of having a stroke (or another stroke).

signs-of-a-stroke-require-immediate-medical-attention

Reducing Your Risk of Stroke

Working with your doctor, you may need to begin specific medical treatment to control these risks:

- Previous stroke or "mini-stroke" (transient ischemic attack, TIA).
- Depending on the most likely cause of your stroke, your doctor may prescribe specific medication or consider surgery to remove fatty deposits in your carotid artery.
- High blood pressure.
- Hypertension is one of the leading risks for heart disease and stroke. Your physician may advise dietary or lifestyle changes, or specific medications to lower your blood pressure.
- Diabetes.
- High blood sugar can increase your risk, so you should work closely with your doctor to manage it.
- Heart disease: Particularly heart beat irregularities (atrial fibrillation), disease of the heart valves, congestive heart failure, or recent heart attack. If you have one of these conditions, your physician may prescribe medications to thin your blood and/or reduce your cholesterol level.

Other risk factors for stroke can be controlled by life style choices you make:

- Smoking: Tobacco use is a major preventable risk factor for stroke and heart disease.
- Even if you have smoked for years, you can still reduce your risk by quitting now.
- Obesity, elevated cholesterol, and elevated lipids: Reduce your dietary intake of saturated fats and cholesterol .
- Physical inactivity.
- Excessive alcohol intake.
- Illegal drug use.

There are some risk factors you can't control:

- Increasing age: Stroke is more common in people over 60 years of age.
- Male sex: Men and women both have strokes, although stroke is more common at younger ages in men.
- Heredity and Race: Stroke is more common in people whose close relatives have had stroke at an early age. African-Americans and Hispanic Americans are at higher risk than white Americans. This may be due in part to high blood pressure and dietary differences.

The ischemic cascade

Numbers of factors have an important role in the final destination of ischemia, that is cell death. Full understanding of this ischemic cascade would enlighten the path for potentially effective treatment for acute ischemic stroke.

The autoregulation curve

The brain has an autoregularity mechanism that would protect it when there is a fall in the oxygen supply. These mechanisms involve blood flow, intracranial pressure, systemic blood pressure, heart rate, intracerebral blood vessel wall compliance and vasomotor reserve. This mechanism would fail if exhausted.

Atherosclerosis

Atherosclerosis carries high risk for stroke, particularly if there is stenosis of the internal carotid artery (higher risk with stenosis more than 70%). The studies showed that endarterectomy is effective against stroke occurrence and recurrence.

Cholesterol deposits on the inner wall of the vessels, particularly at bifurcation site, then ulcerations occur on these cholesterol deposits.

At later stages, platelet aggregants form on top of the ulcerated site of the cholesterol deposits, enlarging in size and causing stenosis of the vessel lumen

When the platelet aggregant grow in size, it becomes fragile and easily can brake and dislodge distally in the vessel causing obstruction in smaller branches. Also if the stenosis increases progressively, it eventually might cause complete obstruction of the vessel.

Understand Stroke

Impact of Stroke

3 rd most common cause of mortality

Affect 700,000 people in USA yearly

5% of victims are less than age of 45 years

Rate in young is around 11-70 per 100,000 population

Ischemic stroke accounts for 80-85 % of all stroke

Intracerebral hemorrhage accounts for 15 % of all stroke

Subarachnoid hemorrhage is rare among Saudi population

15 – 20 % ICU admissions are related to a vascular event

About Us

The aim of the SSS is to reduce burden of stroke by changing the way that stroke is viewed and treated.

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ABOUT US

Saudi Stroke Society

Reduce burden of stroke by changing the way that stroke is viewed and treated.

SAUDI STROKE SOCIETY serves as the voice of stroke in Saudi Arabia harmonizing stroke management across the country and taking action to reduce the burden of stroke regionally and globally.

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CONTACT US

Saudi Stroke Society
Saudi Commission For Health Specialties
PO Box 94656
Riyadh 11614

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