Medical Health Encyclopedia

Stroke secondary to atherosclerosis

Atherosclerosis occludes the blood vessels, causing ischemia (reduced oxygen to tissues caused by insufficient blood flow) and infarction (tissue death caused by ischemia).

Pieces of atherosclerotic plaque or clot may travel in the bloodstream (embolism). However, strokes caused by embolism are most commonly strokes secondary to cardiogenic embolism (clots that develop because of heart disorders, which then travel to the brain). Whatever the source of the embolism, the clot travels through the bloodstream and becomes stuck in a small artery in the brain. This stroke occurs suddenly with immediate maximum neurologic deficit (loss of brain function).

Risks for stroke secondary to atherosclerosis include: a history of high blood pressure (hypertension, present in about 70% of all stroke victims); peripheral vascular disease; smoking; transient ischemic attacks or other cerebrovascular disease; high blood lipids; high levels of homocysteine; diabetes; obesity; a sedentary lifestyle; and kidney disease requiring dialysis.

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