Running Head: Stroke 1

Cerebrovascular disease; Stroke

Cerebrovascular disease is associated with abnormal blood flow in the brain mostly

because of damage to the blood vessels supplying blood to the brain. Cerebrovascular diseases

include carotid stenosis, stroke, vertebral stenosis, aneurysms, intracranial stenosis, and vascular

malformations. It is often triggered by narrowing of blood vessels, blood clotting, and blockage

or rupture, thus affecting the normal functioning of brain tissues.

Stroke manifests in three ways; ischemic stroke, hemorrhagic stroke, and transient

ischemic attack (TIA). Ischemic stroke can be thrombotic or embolic; thrombotic stroke results

from blood clotting in the blood vessels while embolic stroke results from the movement of the

thrombus to a different site. Hemorrhagic stroke is caused by vascular malformation, blood

vessel rupture, hypertension, or anticoagulant complications (Kuriakose & Xiao, 2020). TIA

stroke results from temporary blockage hence no permanent damage by the time it dislodges.

Stroke disease risk factors include age, lifestyle, and underlying medical conditions

(NHS,2019). Health conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, and high cholesterol weakens the

body making it prone to diseases. Lifestyle factors such as smoking, alcohol consumption,

reduced physical activity, poor diet, and drug abuse also increase stroke risk. Signs and

symptoms of stroke include sudden and severe headache, confusion, slurred speech, loss of

balance, numbness, nausea, dizziness, memory loss, and falling unconscious (AANS, n.d). Also,

the victim’s one side of the body is likely to suffer from vision loss, eye deviation, body

weakness, and paralysis, including facial paralysis.

Brain scans such as CT scans and MRI scans help determine the causes of stroke, such as

artery blockage or blood vessel rupture (NHS 2019). Brain scans show the affected part of the
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brain and the severity of the stroke. CT scans are faster than MRI scans; hence the most preferred

scan method for timely medication. Carotid ultrasound is used to show blockage or narrowing, if

any, of blood vessels leading to the brain, while echocardiography checks for any stroke-related

problems in the heart.

Ischemic stroke can be treated by removing the thrombus in the artery supplying blood to

the brain using tissue plasminogen activator. However, patients who have had stroke for more

than three hours cannot be treated using the same; only alternative treatment such as mechanical

devices or intra-arterial thrombolysis (NHS, 2019). Hemorrhagic stroke is treated by surgery,

catheters and stents to relieve intracranial pressure induced by bleeding while sealing defective

blood vessels (Kuriakose & Xiao, 2020). Early treatment of stroke including TIA stroke could

prevent future occurrence of stroke.

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References

American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS). (n.d). Cerebrovascular Disease.

Available at: https://www.aans.org/en/Patients/Neurosurgical-Conditions-and-

Treatments/Cerebrovascular-Disease

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2021). Stroke. Available at;

https://www.cdc.gov/stroke/index.htm

Khaku AS, Tadi P. Cerebrovascular Disease. (2021). In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island

(FL): StatPearls. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK430927/

Kuriakose, D., & Xiao, Z. (2020). Pathophysiology and Treatment of Stroke: Present Status and

Future Perspectives. International journal of molecular sciences, 21(20), 7609.

https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21207609

National Health Services (NHS) UK. (2019). Overview; Stroke. Available at;

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stroke/

Sacco. RL., Kasner, S. E., Broderick, J. P., Caplan, L. R., Connors, J. J. et al. (2013). An

Updated Definition of Stroke for the 21st Century: A Statement for Healthcare

Professionals From the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association.

American Haert Association. 44(7). Available at:

https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/full/10.1161/str.0b013e318296aeca