Stroke
What is Stroke?
A stroke happens when blood flow to part of the brain stops or gets severely reduced. Brain cells begin to die within minutes because they cannot get oxygen and nutrients. This makes stroke a medical emergency that requires immediate treatment.
There are two main types of stroke. Ischemic stroke occurs when a blood clot blocks an artery leading to the brain. Hemorrhagic stroke happens when a blood vessel in the brain bursts and bleeds. About 87% of all strokes are ischemic strokes.
Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death in the United States. It is also a leading cause of serious long-term disability. The good news is that many strokes can be prevented through lifestyle changes and managing key risk factors. Blood tests can help identify your stroke risk years before a stroke occurs.
Symptoms
- Sudden numbness or weakness in the face, arm, or leg, especially on one side of the body
- Sudden confusion or trouble speaking or understanding speech
- Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
- Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, or loss of balance and coordination
- Sudden severe headache with no known cause
- Face drooping on one side when trying to smile
- Arm weakness or drift when trying to raise both arms
- Slurred or strange speech
Some people experience a mini-stroke called a transient ischemic attack. These warning signs last only a few minutes then disappear. However, they signal high risk for a future stroke and require immediate medical attention.
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Causes and risk factors
Most strokes are caused by atherosclerosis, which is the buildup of fatty deposits in blood vessel walls. These deposits create plaques that narrow arteries and make it easier for blood clots to form. When a clot blocks blood flow to the brain, a stroke occurs. High blood pressure damages blood vessel walls over time and is the single biggest risk factor for stroke. Other major risk factors include high cholesterol, diabetes, smoking, obesity, and lack of physical activity.
Some risk factors cannot be changed, including age, family history, race, and prior stroke or heart attack. African Americans have nearly twice the risk of first-ever stroke compared to white people. Women have unique risk factors including pregnancy, preeclampsia, birth control pills, and hormone replacement therapy. Atrial fibrillation, an irregular heartbeat, creates a high risk of stroke because blood can pool and clot in the heart chambers.
How it's diagnosed
When someone arrives at the hospital with stroke symptoms, doctors perform a physical exam and brain imaging immediately. A CT scan or MRI shows whether the stroke is ischemic or hemorrhagic. These images help doctors choose the right emergency treatment. Additional tests may include carotid ultrasound to check for blockages in neck arteries and heart monitoring to detect irregular rhythms.
Blood tests play a key role in assessing stroke risk before a stroke happens. Rite Aid tests over 200 biomarkers that reveal inflammation, cholesterol problems, clotting issues, and other factors that increase stroke risk. You can get tested at any Quest Diagnostics location near you. Tests like C-Reactive Protein, Homocysteine, Lipoprotein(a), and Fibrinogen help identify people who need early intervention to prevent a stroke.
Treatment options
- Emergency clot-busting medication called tPA must be given within 3 to 4.5 hours of symptom onset for ischemic stroke
- Mechanical thrombectomy to physically remove large clots from brain arteries
- Blood pressure medications to lower and control high blood pressure
- Cholesterol-lowering statins to reduce plaque buildup in arteries
- Antiplatelet drugs like aspirin or clopidogrel to prevent blood clots
- Anticoagulants like warfarin or newer direct oral anticoagulants for people with atrial fibrillation
- Eating a Mediterranean-style diet rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, fish, and healthy fats
- Getting at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity each week
- Quitting smoking and limiting alcohol to no more than 1 drink per day for women and 2 for men
- Managing stress through meditation, yoga, or other relaxation techniques
- Maintaining a healthy weight with a body mass index under 25
- Physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy after a stroke to regain lost abilities
Concerned about Stroke? Get tested at Rite Aid.
- Simple blood draw at your nearest lab
- Results in days, not weeks
- Share results with your doctor
Frequently asked questions
FAST stands for Face drooping, Arm weakness, Speech difficulty, and Time to call 911. This simple test helps anyone quickly identify the most common stroke warning signs. If someone shows any of these signs, even if they go away, call emergency services immediately. Every minute counts because brain cells die rapidly without blood flow.
Yes, blood tests can identify many risk factors that increase your chance of stroke. Tests measuring inflammation like C-Reactive Protein and Hs CRP reveal blood vessel damage. Cholesterol tests including Apolipoprotein B, Lipoprotein(a), and OxLDL show plaque-building particles. Clotting markers like Fibrinogen and D-Dimer indicate if your blood clots too easily. Rite Aid's panel includes all these stroke risk markers.
Brain cells begin dying within 3 to 5 minutes after blood flow stops. Nearly 2 million brain cells die every minute during a stroke. This is why doctors say time is brain. Getting emergency treatment within the first few hours can prevent permanent damage and save lives.
A mini-stroke, called a transient ischemic attack, causes temporary stroke symptoms that resolve within 24 hours, usually within minutes. A full stroke causes lasting damage because brain cells die. However, mini-strokes are serious warning signs that a major stroke may be coming soon. About 1 in 3 people who have a mini-stroke will have a major stroke within a year if left untreated.
High blood pressure damages the inner lining of blood vessels throughout your body, including the brain. This damage makes it easier for fatty deposits to stick to artery walls and form plaques. Over time, these plaques narrow the arteries and make blood clots more likely. High blood pressure can also weaken blood vessel walls until they burst and bleed into the brain.
Yes, although stroke risk increases with age, strokes can happen at any age, including in children. About 10% to 15% of strokes occur in people ages 18 to 50. Young people who smoke, use drugs like cocaine, have high blood pressure, or have certain genetic conditions face higher risk. Women taking birth control pills while smoking have particularly high risk.
LDL cholesterol, often called bad cholesterol, builds up in artery walls and forms plaques that narrow blood vessels. These plaques can rupture and trigger blood clots that cause strokes. HDL cholesterol, the good kind, helps remove excess cholesterol from blood vessels. High levels of Lipoprotein(a) and Apolipoprotein B indicate more particles carrying cholesterol into vessel walls.
Chronic inflammation damages the lining of blood vessels and makes atherosclerosis worse. Inflammatory markers like C-Reactive Protein and Myeloperoxidase indicate ongoing damage to vessel walls. This inflammation makes plaques more likely to rupture and cause clots. Reducing inflammation through diet, exercise, and stress management can lower stroke risk.
Many stroke survivors regain significant function through rehabilitation, especially when started early. The brain can rewire itself and use undamaged areas to take over lost functions. Physical therapy helps restore movement, speech therapy improves communication, and occupational therapy teaches new ways to complete daily tasks. Recovery varies widely depending on stroke severity and location of brain damage.
Controlling blood pressure is the single most effective way to prevent stroke. Eating a diet rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and fish while limiting salt, red meat, and processed foods helps tremendously. Regular physical activity, maintaining healthy weight, not smoking, and limiting alcohol all reduce risk. Managing diabetes and getting regular blood tests to track your risk factors enables early intervention.