HOME RETURN TO PUBLIX.COM
Default content view for Stroke

Health Condition

Stroke

About This Condition

Stroke is a condition caused by a lack of blood supply to the brain or by hemorrhage (bleeding) within the brain.

Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States, but most strokes are not fatal. Depending on the area of the brain that is damaged, a stroke can cause coma, reversible or irreversible paralysis, speech problems, visual disturbances, and dementia. Factors that increase the risk of certain types of stroke include hypertension, diabetes, elevated levels of high cholesterol or homocysteine, and atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) of the blood vessels that supply the brain.

Symptoms

Symptoms of stroke include weakness, numbness, or inability to move an arm or leg; sudden and intense headache; severe dizziness or loss of coordination and balance; difficulty with speaking or understanding; and blurred or decreased vision in one or both eyes. People with stroke may also have seizures, vomiting, drooling, and difficulty swallowing. Some people experience temporary warning episodes of neurologic symptoms called transient ischemic attacks (TIAs) before suffering a complete stroke. People experiencing symptoms suggestive of having suffered a stroke or a TIA require immediate (emergency room) medical attention.

Other Therapies

Individuals who experience a stroke caused by blockage of blood vessels (ischemic stroke) receive clot-dissolving (thrombolytic) medications, such as recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (Alteplase®) and the anticoagulant heparin. Individuals who have a stroke due to bleeding in the brain (hemorrhagic stroke) usually receive a surgical procedure that stops bleeding and repairs blood vessels. After the acute treatment of stroke, doctors often recommend rehabilitation, including physical, speech, and occupational therapy.

References

1. Sasaki S, Zhang XH, Kesteloot H. Dietary sodium, potassium, saturated fat, alcohol, and stroke mortality. Stroke 1995;26:783-9.

2. Tobian L. Dietary sodium chloride and potassium have effects on the pathophysiology of hypertension in humans and animals. Am J Clin Nutr 1997;65:606S-11S [review].

3. Perry IJ, Beevers DG. Salt intake and stroke: a possible direct effect. J Hum Hypertens 1992;6:23-5.

4. He J, Ogden LG, Vupputuri S, et al. Dietary sodium intake and subsequent risk of cardiovascular disease in overweight adults. JAMA 1999;282:2027-34.

5. Antonios TF, MacGregor GA. Salt intake: potential deleterious effects excluding blood pressure. J Hum Hypertens 1995;9:511-5 [review].

6. Gillman MW, Cupples LA, Millen BE, et al. Inverse association of dietary fat with development of ischemic stroke in men. JAMA 1997;278:2145-50.

7. Seino F, Date C, Nakayama T, et al. Dietary lipids and incidence of cerebral infarction in a Japanese rural community. J Nutr Sci Vitaminol (Tokyo) 1997;43:83-99.

8. Brunner R. Dietary fat and ischemic stroke. JAMA 1998;279:1171-2 [letter].

9. Ornish D. Dietary fat and ischemic stroke. JAMA 1998;279:1172 [letter].

10. Stein HD. Dietary fat and ischemic stroke. JAMA 1998;279:1172 [letter].

11. Sasaki S, Zhang XH, Kesteloot H. Dietary sodium, potassium, saturated fat, alcohol, and stroke mortality. Stroke 1995;26:783-9.

12. Ricci S, Celani MG, Righetti E, et al. Fatty acid dietary intake and the risk of ischaemic stroke: a multicentre case-control study. UFA Study Group. J Neurol 1997;244:360-4.

13. Zhang J, Sasaki S, Amano K, et al. Fish consumption and mortality from all causes, ischemic heart disease, and stroke: an ecological study. Prev Med 1999;28:520-9.

14. Keli SO, Feskens EJ, Kromhout D. Fish consumption and risk of stroke. The Zutphen Study. Stroke 1994;25:328-32.

15. Iso H, Rexrode KM, Stampfer MJ, et al. Intake of fish and omega-3 fatty acids and risk of stroke in women. JAMA 2001;285:304-12.

16. Orencia AJ, Daviglus ML, Dyer AR, et al. Fish consumption and stroke in men. 30-year findings of the Chicago Western Electric Study. Stroke 1996;27:204-9.

17. Morris MC, Manson JE, Rosner B, et al. Fish consumption and cardiovascular disease in the physicians' health study: a prospective study. Am J Epidemiol 1995;142:166-75.

18. Ascherio A, Rimm EB, Hernan MA, et al. Intake of potassium, magnesium, calcium, and fiber and risk of stroke among US men. Circulation 1998;98:1198-204.

19. Sasaki S, Zhang XH, Kesteloot H. Dietary sodium, potassium, saturated fat, alcohol, and stroke mortality. Stroke 1995;26:783-9.

20. Khaw KT, Barrett-Connor E. Dietary potassium and stroke-associated mortality. A 12-year prospective population study. N Engl J Med 1987;316:235-40.

21. Fang J, Madhavan S, Alderman MH. Dietary Potassium Intake and Stroke Mortality. Stroke 2000;31:1532-7.

22. Yamori Y, Nara Y, Mizushima S, et al. Nutritional factors for stroke and major cardiovascular diseases: international epidemiological comparison of dietary prevention. Health Rep 1994;6:22-7.

23. Stamler J, Caggiula AW, Grandits GA. Relation of body mass and alcohol, nutrient, fiber, and caffeine intakes to blood pressure in the special intervention and usual care groups in the Multiple Risk Factor Intervention Trial. Am J Clin Nutr 1997;65:338S-65S.

24. Suter PM. The effects of potassium, magnesium, calcium, and fiber on risk of stroke. Nutr Rev 1999;57:84-8.

25. Rodriguez Artalejo F, Guallar-Castillon P, Banegas Banegas JR, et al. Consumption of fruit and wine and the decline in cerebrovascular disease mortality in Spain (1975-1993). Stroke 1998;29:1556-61.

26. Ness AR, Powles JW. Fruit and vegetables, and cardiovascular disease: a review. Int J Epidemiol 1997;26:1-13.

27. Joshipura KJ, Ascherio A, Manson JE, et al. Fruit and vegetable intake in relation to risk of ischemic stroke. JAMA 1999;282:1233-9.

28. Liu S, Manson JE, Stampfer MJ, et al. Whole grain consumption and risk of ischemic stroke in women. A prospective study. JAMA 2000;284:1534-40.

29. Hillbom M. Alcohol consumption and stroke: benefits and risks. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 1998;22:352S-8S [review].

30. Caicoya M, Rodriguez T, Corrales C, et al. Alcohol and stroke: a community case-control study in Asturias, Spain. J Clin Epidemiol 1999;52:677-84.

31. Donahue RP, Abbott RD, Reed DM, Yano K. Alcohol and hemorrhagic stroke. JAMA 1986;255:2311-4.

32. Romelsjö A, Leifman A. Association between alcohol consumption and mortality, myocardial infarction, and stroke in 25 year follow up of 49,618 young Swedish men. BMJ 1999;319:821-2.

33. Thrift AG, Donnan GA, McNeil JJ. Heavy drinking, but not moderate or intermediate drinking, increases the risk of intracerebral hemorrhage. Epidemiology 1999;10:307-12.

34. Shinton R. Lifelong exposures and the potential for stroke prevention: the contribution of cigarette smoking, exercise, and body fat. J Epidemiol Community Health 1997;51:138-43.

35. Jacobs DR Jr, Adachi H, Mulder I, et al. Cigarette smoking and mortality risk: twenty-five-year follow-up of the Seven Countries Study. Arch Intern Med 1999;159:733-40.

36. Shinton R, Beevers G. Meta-analysis of relation between cigarette smoking and stroke. BMJ 1989;298:789-94.

37. You RX, Thrift AG, McNeil JJ, et al. Ischemic stroke risk and passive exposure to spouses' cigarette smoking. Melbourne Stroke Risk Factor Study (MERFS) Group. Am J Public Health 1999;89:572-5.

38. Lee IM, Hennekens CH, Berger K, et al. Exercise and risk of stroke in male physicians. Stroke 1999;30:1-6.

39. Sacco RL, Gan R, Boden-Albala B, et al. Leisure-time physical activity and ischemic stroke risk: the Northern Manhattan Stroke Study. Stroke 1998;29:380-7.

40. Agnarsson U, Thorgeirsson G, Sigvaldason H, et al. Effects of leisure-time physical activity and ventilatory function on risk for stroke in men: the Reykjavik Study. Ann Intern Med 1999;130:987-90.

41. Bronner LL, Kanter DS, Manson JE. Primary prevention of stroke. N Engl J Med 1995;333:1392-400 [review].

42. Evenson KR, Rosamond WD, Cai J, et al. Physical activity and ischemic stroke risk : the atherosclerosis risk in communities study. Stroke 1999;30:1333-9.

43. Rexrode KM, Hennekens CH, Willett WC, et al. A prospective study of body mass index, weight change, and risk of stroke in women. JAMA 1997;277:1539-45.

44. Megnien JL, Denarie N, Cocaul M, et al. Predictive value of waist-to-hip ratio on cardiovascular risk events. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord 1999;23:90-7.

45. Walker SP, Rimm EB, Ascherio A, et al. Body size and fat distribution as predictors of stroke among US men. Am J Epidemiol 1996;144:1143-50.

46. Folsom AR, Prineas RJ, Kaye SA, et al. Incidence of hypertension and stroke in relation to body fat distribution and other risk factors in older women. Stroke 1990;21:701-6.

Copyright © 2023 TraceGains, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Terms and Conditions TraceGains Accessibility