What are the main causes of an ischemic stroke?
There are several causes. The first is atherosclerosis of large arteries (which accounts for between 30% and 43% of cases); The second type is cardioembolic stroke or stroke of cardiac origin (from 20% to 31%) and the third is that of occlusion of small or lacunar vessels (from 10% to 23%). The fourth group is that of strokes from another specific cause or unusual cause, which are 2% to 11%. Finally we find strokes of undetermined cause.
The figures indicate that ischemic stroke is the leading cause of death in women in Spain. Because?
Above all, due to the higher prevalence of risk factors such as hypertension and atrial fibrillation in postmenopausal women, abdominal obesity or metabolic syndrome in middle-aged women. There is controversy over the risks of oral contraceptives, hormone therapy, and surgical intervention for carotid stenosis in women, while pregnancy and the postpartum period represent a time of increased risk and present challenges for stroke management. Longer life expectancy and tobacco consumption also play a role.
What preventive measures can women take to reduce their risk?
In general, it is advisable to control vascular risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia and quit smoking. Lifestyle changes, such as a healthy diet and aerobic exercise, are also recommended.
How do you quickly recognize an ischemic stroke and seek medical attention?
The most common symptoms are speech disorders, loss of strength in one half of the body and facial paralysis. Acronyms have been generated so that the population can identify them and act quickly. In Spanish, that acronym is FAST (Face drooping, Balance disturbance, Loss of strength, Visual impairment, Difficulty speaking, Get help fast). The most common conditions that can mimic a stroke are seizures, conversion disorder, migraine, and hypoglycemia. If you experience any of these symptoms, you should go quickly to a health center.
What advances exist today to improve the prognosis of these patients? The advances of recent years have improved early diagnosis and the possibilities of achieving recanalization in less time, which has led to a true revolution. Endovascular treatment has been greatly improved with the incorporation of devices such as microguides, microcatheters, aspiration catheters and other types, introducers or stent retrievers (retrievable). In this sense, my team and I were pioneers in describing the safety and efficacy of a self-expanding and fully retrievable stent in the revascularization of patients with acute ischemic stroke. With them it is possible to trap and extract the thrombus or be used in combination with aspiration techniques. The I D i continues to be relevant to medical advances and iVascular, a company based in Barcelona that designs, produces and markets medical devices in more than 70 countries for the treatment of ischemic stroke and helps medical professionals in the endovascular treatment of this pathology. .
