| |
|
Headlines:
|
 |
Back to table of contents
Cerebrovascular disease and risk of stroke
Submitted by Dr. Yasser
Mokhtar, MD. Dept. of internal medicine. School of
medicine, University of South Dakota.
|
|
|
|
|
Stroke is a loss of cerebral
function with symptoms lasting >24 hrs or death due to vascular
disease |
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
Potential stroke risk factors
Dietary habits
Coffee consumption particularly of boiled and unfiltered coffee, has a small
hyperlipidemic effect (Thelle 1991), but it has seldom been found to have an
independent (of cholesterol and other confounding variables) predictive effect
on vascular events (Tverdal et al., 1990).
Salt intake whether excessive or even moderate may well be responsible for
increasing blood pressure (Law et al., 1991).
Potassium intake in large amounts may possibly reduce the risk of stroke,
perhaps by reducing blood pressure (Khaw and Barrett-Connor 1987).
Deficiency of fresh fruits and vegetables (Acheson and Williams 1983),
selenium (Virtamo et al., 1985) and vitamin E (Riemersma et al., 1991) have all
been proposed as vascular risk factors at various times.
Snoring and sleep apnea
These are associated with increasing age, male sex, smoking, obesity, alcohol
consumption and physical inactivity, so unsurprisingly they are also associated
with vascular disorders including stroke (Palomaki 1991).
Carotid and supraclavicular bruits (i.e. cervical bruits)
These are strongly related to stenosis of underlying arteries. Bruits over
and more importantly stenosis at the origin of the ICA become more prevalent
with age, therefore, it is not surprising that cervical bruit is a risk factor
for subsequent stroke (Wiebers et al., 1990).
Other potential stroke risk factors that have been identified by some studies
need confirmation and clarification in further epidemiologic investigations.
These include maternal history of stroke (Welin et al., 1987), Type A behavior (Dimsdale
1988), adverse life events and difficulties (House et al., 1990), stress (Harmsen
et al., 1990), hyperhomocystinemia (Clarke et al., 1991), impaired ventilatory
function (Strachan 1991) and physical activity (Wannamethee and Shaper 1992).
|
|
|
|
Are you a doctor or a nurse?
Do you want to join the Doctors Lounge online medical community?
Participate in editorial activities (publish, peer review, edit) and
give a helping hand to the largest online community of patients.
Click on the link below to see the requirements:
Doctors Lounge Membership
Application |
|
|
|
send
to a friend
printer
friendly version
