CARDIOVASCULAR ACCIDENT (STROKE) A stroke, or cerebrovascular accident (CVA), occurs when blood supply to part of the brain is disrupted,

causing brain cells to die. When blood flow to the brain is impaired, oxygen and glucose cannot be delivered to the brain. Blood flow can be compromised by a variety of mechanisms. RISK FACTORS

high blood pressure diabetes high cholesterol level cigarette smoking family history of stroke heart disease

SYMPTOMS The symptoms of a stroke differ, depending on the part of the brain affected and the extent of the damage. Symptoms following a stroke come on suddenly and may include:

severe headache with no known cause weakness, numbness, or tingling in the face, arm, or leg, especially on one side of the body trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance, or coordination inability to speak or difficulty speaking or understanding trouble seeing with one or both eyes, or double vision confusion or personality changes difficulty with muscle movements, such as swallowing, moving arms and legs loss of consciousness

TEST AND DIAGNOSIS

lab tests of your blood electrocardiogram (ECG) to see how well your heart is working

x-ray of your chest brain scans (CT or MRI) to try to identify a stroke and determine whether it is from a clot or from bleeding into the brain from a leaking artery (hemorrhage)

PREVENTION

If you have high blood pressure, it is essential that you control it with medicine. If you have diabetes, monitor and control your blood sugar. If you have an irregular or fast heart rate, you may need to take medicine such as warfarin, aspirin, or clopidogrel. Talk with your health care provider about this. If you smoke, quit. Keep your diet low in fat to decrease the risk of developing fatty deposits in your blood vessels. Exercise every day according to your health care provider's recommendations. Keep a healthy weight.