stroke prevention

stroke prevention Methods of preventing the occurrence of a cerebrovascular accident. If a person has a transient ischemic attack (TIA), a neurological event with the symptoms of a stroke, the symptoms go away within a short period of time. TIAs are often caused by narrowing or ulceration of the carotid arteries, however, and if that is not treated, there is a high risk of major stroke in the future. A person who suspects that he or she has had a TIA should seek medical attention right away. An operation called a carotid endarterectomy can clean out the carotid artery and restore normal blood flow through the artery, markedly reducing the incidence of a subsequent stroke. In other cases, when a person has a narrowed carotid artery but no symptoms, the risk of stroke can be reduced with medications such as aspirin and ticlopidine (brand name: Ticlid). These medications act by partially blocking the blood-clotting function of the platelets in the patient’s blood. Controlling other factors that contribute to strokes, such as high blood pressure and diabetes, is also important for stroke prevention.