Who needs stroke screening?

This is an automatically translated article.

The article was professionally consulted by a neurosurgeon, Department of General Surgery, Vinmec Central Park International General Hospital.
Stroke is the third leading cause of death after heart disease and cancer. A stroke can happen at any time, to anyone. Therefore, early screening, especially for those at high risk of stroke, is very important.

1. What is a stroke?

Stroke, commonly referred to as “Cerebral Vascular Accident”, is one of the leading causes of disability and death worldwide. A stroke is an injury to the brain that occurs when the blood supply to the brain is interrupted or significantly reduced. The brain is starved of oxygen and nutrients and brain cells begin to die within minutes. For that reason, a stroke is considered a medical emergency and requires prompt diagnosis and treatment.
There are two types of strokes: ischemic and hemorrhagic
Anemia: A stroke caused by a blood clot blocking a blood vessel to the brain. This prevents the brain from getting the oxygen it needs. This is the most common type of stroke. Hemorrhage: A stroke is caused by a rupture of a blood vessel to the brain. This causes brain bleeding.

2. Risk factors

Some stroke risk factors cannot be changed. These include factors such as age (older people have a higher risk of stroke than younger people), sex, race, and family history.
Specific diseases and conditions can also increase the risk of stroke. These include:
History of stroke High blood pressure High blood cholesterol Heart disease Diabetes Obesity Lifestyle increases the risk of stroke:
Unhealthy eating habits Little or no exercise Smoking

3. Screening for stroke risk

Control and treat modifiable stroke risk factors:
Hypertension Early detection and treatment of heart disease Diabetes Metabolic dyslipidemia Symptomatic aortic stenosis Routine physical examination 3-6 months: For screening, take exactly as prescribed by your doctor, stop only after consulting your doctor.
Healthy diet: Eat a lot of green vegetables and fruits, drink a lot of water, reduce the amount of salt and fat.
Follow a healthy lifestyle: Be active every day. If you smoke, stop immediately. Use alcohol only in moderation.
Reduce stress levels: Stress increases the risk of high blood pressure and stroke. Learn how to reduce stress in your life. Deep breathing helps reduce stress levels.

4. Who needs stroke screening?

Routine stroke risk screening is necessary if you have any of the following:
Family history of stroke If someone in your family has had a stroke, you may be at increased risk due to lifestyle, habits, genetic factors. Share your family history with your doctor for the best advice.
People with diabetes Diabetes is a chronic, non-communicable disease, often progressing silently, easily leading to cardiovascular complications, nerve damage, eyes, kidneys... People with diabetes are at risk of sudden death stroke is 2 to 4 times higher than in the general population.

People with high blood pressure High blood pressure, the leading cause of stroke, damages artery walls and can increase clotting activity, leading to the formation of blood clots that cause stroke.
High cholesterol High cholesterol can damage the lining of blood vessels throughout the body, including the heart and brain. Cholesterol tends to form and cause hardening of the blood vessels, increasing the risk of blood clots in the blood vessels, obstructing the blood supply to the brain.
People with cardiovascular disease People with cardiovascular diseases such as atrial fibrillation, myocardial infarction, heart failure... often have a high risk of stroke.
Smoking Smoking doubles the risk of stroke. Besides damaging the lungs, smoking also damages the walls of blood vessels, increases the hardening of the arteries, makes the heart work harder, and raises blood pressure. Exposure to secondhand smoke also increases the risk of stroke. The good news is, if you stop smoking today, within two to five years, your risk of stroke will be the same as that of someone who has never smoked.
Currently, Magnetic Resonance Imaging - MRI/MRA is considered a "golden" tool for brain stroke screening. MRI is used to check the condition of most organs in the body, especially valuable in detailed imaging of the brain or spinal nerves. Due to the good contrast and resolution, MRI images allow to detect abnormalities hidden behind bone layers that are difficult to recognize with other imaging methods. MRI can give more accurate results than X-ray techniques (except for DSA angiography) in diagnosing brain diseases, cardiovascular diseases, strokes,... Moreover, the process MRI scans do not cause side effects like X-rays or computed tomography (CT) scans.\
Vinmec International General Hospital currently owns a 3.0 Tesla MRI system equipped with state-of-the-art equipment by GE. Healthcare (USA) with high image quality, allows comprehensive assessment, does not miss the injury but reduces the time taken to take pictures. Silent technology helps to reduce noise, create comfort and reduce stress for the client during the shooting process, resulting in better image quality and shorter imaging time. With the state-of-the-art MRI system With the application of modern methods of cerebral vascular intervention, a team of experienced and well-trained neurologists and radiologists, Vinmec is a prestigious address for stroke risk screening and screening. reliable goods.
In the past time; Vinmec has successfully treated many cases of stroke in a timely manner, leaving no sequelae: saving the life of a patient suffering from 2 consecutive strokes; Responding to foreign female tourists to escape the "death door" of a stroke;...

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