Will You Suffer a Stroke?
Stroke Facts
What is Carotid Artery Disease & How Does it Cause Stroke?
What is Stroke?
What are the Stroke Symptoms or Warning Signs?
Are You at Risk for Stroke?
How Can You Reduce Your Risk for Carotid Artery Disease (Stroke)?
What is a Carotid Artery Disease (Stroke) Screening Exam?
Stroke References
Will You Suffer a Stroke?
Futura Health Screening offers carotid artery disease screening (stroke screening) to the public to detect those individuals at high-risk for stroke so that they can have the best chance to avoid ever having a stroke. Strokes, in most cases, can be avoided through early detection, education, medical treatment and risk factor modification.
A basic tenet of our healthcare system, primarily the result of insurance costs, is a requirement that “medical necessity” be established prior to receiving care. In the case of carotid artery disease, you must have a stroke or stroke-like symptoms before you can be tested for possible causes of stroke. However, waiting until a stroke actually occurs before acting is unacceptable; especially since low-cost, effective stroke screening is now available.
The most effective way of preventing stroke is to identify individuals at risk before they ever have symptoms. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), in recent years, a better understanding of the causes of stroke has helped Americans make lifestyle changes that have cut the stroke death rate nearly in half. Scientists at NINDS predict that, with continued attention to reducing the risks of stroke and by using currently available therapies and developing new ones, Americans should be able to prevent 80% of all strokes(3).
The presence of carotid artery blockage, also known as stenosis, is the leading cause of strokes(3). Futura Health Screening is able to detect the presence of carotid artery stenosis using advanced ultrasound techniques. The scanning method uses duplex ultrasonography scanning and color Doppler, which is completely safe, fast, painless and affordable.
Results and recommendations from the stroke screening exam will be discussed with you at the end of the exam. If carotid artery disease is detected or you are found to be at risk for stroke, you have the opportunity to work with your physician to modify risk factors and seek further treatment as appropriate, thus empowering you to choose a lifetime of good health.
Stroke Facts
- A stroke or brain attack occurs when blood flow to brain is cut off resulting in death of brain tissue.
- Stroke is the No. 3 cause of death in the U.S., behind heart disease and cancer(1).
- Stroke affects about 795,000 people annually in the United States and approximately 600,000 of these are first attacks(1).
- 75% of strokes occur without any symptoms or warning signs(1).
- Stroke is the leading cause of disability among adults in the U.S.(4).
- Stroke had an estimated direct & indirect cost of $73.7 billion for 2010(4).
Note: It should also be recognized that a “normal” screening procedure does not mean you will never have a stroke, as there are other causes of stroke that are not related to carotid disease such as cerebral hemorrhage or heart disease.
Your doctor can suggest treatments to remove or reduce your carotid disease either surgically or medically. However, regardless of the finding of the screening procedure, should you at anytime experience symptoms or warning signs of stroke, you should seek immediate medical attention.
What is Carotid Artery Disease & How Does it Cause Stroke?
The carotid arteries circulate blood from the heart through the neck and on to the brain. Healthy carotid arteries are smooth and unobstructed, supplying adequate oxygenated blood to the brain. Carotid artery disease is caused from atherosclerosis (commonly known as “hardening of the arteries”) where cholesterol and fatty substances build up in the walls of the arteries forming what is referred to as “plaque”. The plaque causes injury to the artery resulting in narrowing or even complete blockage of the carotid artery. This can cause a stroke if pieces of plaque or clot break loose and travel to the brain. Carotid artery disease may not cause signs or symptoms until it severely narrows or blocks the carotid arteries. A stroke is often the first sign of the disease.
Blood Flow Illustration of the Carotid Arteries. Graphics Courtesy of U.S. Dept of Health and Human Services
What is Stroke?
Stroke is a sudden loss of muscle function, vision, and/or speech, caused by obstruction of blood flow to the brain. How a stroke patient is affected depends on where the stroke occurs in the brain and how much of the brain is damaged. For example, symptoms can range from one-sided weakness to one-sided total paralysis or the loss of the ability to speak. There are two different types of stroke: ischemic (blockage of a blood vessel supplying the brain) and hemorrhagic (bleeding into or around the brain).
Ischemic stroke accounts for about 75% of all stroke cases and occurs as a result of an obstruction within a blood vessel supplying blood to the brain(1). This obstruction of the artery can be caused by blood clots or by the build-up of plaque and other fatty deposits.
Hemorrhagic stroke occurs as a result of a weakened blood vessel that ruptures and bleeds into or around the brain. Hemorrhagic stroke accounts for about 13% of stroke cases yet are responsible for 30% of all stroke deaths(4).
A transient ischemic attack (TIA) is a “mini-stroke” that results in stroke-like symptoms, but the symptoms disappear with no lasting damage. Up to 40% of all people who have a TIA will go on to have an actual stroke(5). It is very important to know the symptoms that may lead to stroke.
What are Stroke Symptoms or Warning Signs?
Common stroke symptoms or “Stroke Warning Signs” include:
Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body.
Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding.
Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes.
Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination.
Sudden, severe headache with no known cause.
Recognize the signs and symptoms of stroke and act F.A.S.T. to get medical attention.
- (F)ace
- Ask the person to smile.
- Does the face look uneven?
- (A)rms
- Ask the person to raise both arms.
- Does one arm drift downward?
- (S)peech
- Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence.
- Does their speech sound strange? Can he/she repeat the sentence correctly?
- (T)ime
- If you observe any of these signs, then it’s time to call 9-1-1 or get to the hospital fast.
According to the American Stroke Association, from the moment a stroke occurs, millions of brain cells die each minute, increasing the risk of permanent brain damage, disability or death(6). So, if you or someone with you has one or more of these stroke signs, do not delay! Immediately call 9-1-1.
Also, check the time so you will know when the first symptoms appeared. If it is a stroke, it is very important to take immediate medical action. A clot-busting drug called tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) can reduce long-term disability for the most common type of stroke, if given within in three hours of the start of a stroke.
Are You at Risk for Stroke?
Risk factors are traits and lifestyle habits that increase the risk of disease. Having any of these risk factors doesn’t mean that you will have a stroke, but you can take steps to help prevent the disease. Some risk factors for stroke can’t be changed such as age (over 55), gender and family history of stroke and heart disease. However, there are other risk factors that can be changed, treated or controlled.
Uncontrollable Risk Factors
- Age older than 55
- Gender
- Before age 75, the risk is greater in men than women. However, after age 75, the risk is higher in women(10).
- Race
- Previous stroke, TIA or heart attack
- Family history of stroke
- The stroke risk is greater if a parent, grandparent, sister or brother has had a stroke.
Controllable Risk Factors
- Hypertension (high blood pressure)
- Tobacco use/Smoking
- The risk of ischemic stroke in current smokers is about double than of nonsmokers after adjustment for other risk factors(1).
- Smoking damages and tightens blood vessels, raises cholesterol levels, and raises blood pressure.
- Smoking can limit how much oxygen reaches the body’s tissues.
- Unhealthy blood cholesterol levels
- People with high LDL (“bad” cholesterol) have an increased risk for stroke.
- Low HDL (“good” cholesterol) cholesterol is a risk factor for stroke in men, but more data are needed to verify its effect in women.
- Total blood cholesterol should be less than 200 mg/dL.
- Nearly 102 million American adults have total blood cholesterol 200 mg/dL or higher. This represents almost half of the adult population(1).
- LDL (“bad” cholesterol) should be less than 100 mg/dL.
- HDL (“good” cholesterol) should be 40 mg/dL or greater for men and 50 mg/dL or greater for women.
- Obesity
- Obesity or excess weight makes people more likely to have high cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes, which in turn increase the risk of stroke.
- BMI (Body Mass Index) measures your weight in relation to your height and gives an estimate of your total body fat.
- A BMI between 25 and 29 is considered overweight. A BMI of 30 or more is considered obese.
- Poor diet
- Diets high in saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol can raise blood cholesterol levels.
- Diets high in sodium (salt) can contribute to increased blood pressure.
- Diets with excess calories can contribute to obesity.
- Physical Inactivity
- Lack of activity can worsen other risk factors for carotid artery disease.
- Inactivity, obesity or both can increase the risk of high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, diabetes, heart disease and stroke.
- Diabetes
- Atrial fibrillation (irregular heartbeat)
- Alcohol use
- Drinking more than 2 drinks per day may increase stroke risk as much as 50%(13).
- Carotid artery disease
- Can be detected early by carotid artery disease screening.
- The presence of carotid artery blockage, also known as stenosis, is the leading cause of strokes(3).
- Peripheral artery disease (narrowing or blockage of the arteries in the legs or arms)
- People with peripheral arterial disease have a 4-5 times higher risk of death from heart attack and stroke(14).
How Can You Reduce Your Risk for Carotid Artery Disease (Stroke)?
Certain risk factors for stroke cannot be controlled, such as aging, gender or having a family history of stroke. You can, however, control many risk factors. By choosing to reduce your risk factors, you may prevent stroke or delay carotid artery disease and its debilitating complications.
- Know your blood pressure.
- High blood pressure usually has no signs or symptoms.
- See your doctor to get your blood pressure checked, at least once each year.
- Work with your doctor to keep your blood pressure under control.
- Find out if you have atrial fibrillation (AF)
- Your doctor can detect AF by carefully checking your pulse.
- If you have AF, work with your doctor to manage it.
- If you smoke, stop!
- If you drink alcohol, do so in moderation.
- Know your blood cholesterol level.
- Abnormal cholesterol levels usually have no signs or symptoms.
- If abnormal, control by medication, diet and/or exercise.
- Control your diabetes
- Work with your doctor to keep your diabetes under control, through nutrition, lifestyle changes, and medicine.
- Eat a healthy diet.
- A diet containing five or more servings of fruits and vegetables per day may reduce the risk of stroke.
- Eat foods that are low in total fat, saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol to help control blood cholesterol levels.
- Reduce sodium (salt) intake to help control blood pressure.
- Reduce your calorie intake to help avoid becoming obese.
- Exercise every day.
- Try to get a total of at least 30 minutes of activity on most or all days.
- Talk to your doctor about what types of activity are safe for you.
- See your doctor regularly.
What is a Carotid Artery Disease (Stroke) Screening Exam?
Carotid Ultrasound Image
A carotid artery disease screening exam is painless and will evaluate the blood flow in your carotid arteries by using non-invasive ultrasound. During a carotid artery disease screening exam, the technologist will pass a transducer (probe) over your neck. This non-invasive test is used to detect any obstruction in the carotid arteries, which may have formed from a build-up of cholesterol or fatty material in the walls of the arteries forming what is referred to as “plaque”. This build-up of plaque, referred to as atherosclerosis, increases an individual’s risk for stroke. If significant atherosclerotic carotid disease is detected in the screening exam, further diagnostic testing is recommended.
Each screening exam will only take about 10-15 minutes. A final report will be mailed to you and your primary care physician within 10 working days. If critical results are found, we will contact your primary care physician before you leave.
References
1 “Heart Disease & Stroke Statistics – 2010 Update.” American Heart Association. American Heart Association, 2010. Web. 14 Jul 2010.
2 “National Stroke Association: What is Stroke.” National Stroke Association. National Stroke Association, 2009. Web. 14Jul 2010.
3 “Brain Basics: Preventing Strokes.” National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, 07/29/2009. Web. 14Jul 2010.
4 “Stroke 101 Fact Sheet.” National Stroke Association. National Stroke Association, 2010. Web. 14Jul 2010.
5 “Transient Ischemic Attack.” National Stroke Association. National Stroke Association, 2009. Web. 14Jul 2010.
6 “Learn To Recognize A Stroke.” American Stroke Association. American Heart Association, 05/26/2010. Web. 14Jul 2010.
7 “Stroke Risk Factors.” American Stroke Association. American Heart Association, 2010. Web. 14Jul 2010.
8 “Stroke Risk Reduction – High Blood Pressure.” National Stroke Association. National Stroke Association, 2009. Web. 14Jul 2010.
9 “Stroke Reduction – Uncontrollable Risk Factors.” National Stroke Association. National Stroke Association, 2009. Web. 14Jul 2010.
10 “Carotid Artery Disease, Who Is At Risk.” National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, 2010. Web. 14Jul 2010.
11 “Stroke Risk Reduction – Diabetes.” National Stroke Association. National Stroke Association, 2009. Web. 14Jul 2010.
12 “Stroke Risk Reduction – Atrial Fibrillation.” National Stroke Association. National Stroke Association, 2009. Web. 14Jul 2010.
13 “Stroke Risk Reduction – Alcohol Use.” National Stroke Association. National Stroke Association, 2009. Web. 14Jul 2010.
14 “About Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD).” American Heart Association. American Heart Association, 2010. Web. 14Jul 2010.
