Strokes occur when blood flow to the brain is stopped, causing brain cells to die. There are two kinds of stroke: ischaemic and haemorrhagic. Ischaemic strokes happen when a blood clot or plaque build-up blocks a blood vessel in the brain. Haemorrhagic strokes result from blood vessels breaking and leaking into or around the brain.
Before having a stroke, some people experience transient ischaemic attacks (TIAs), also known as “mini-strokes”. These are mild strokes that result from a brief interruption of blood flow to the brain.
At Life Line Screening, we offer preventive screening for the blood clots and plaque build-up that cause ischaemic strokes.
Facts about strokes in the United Kingdom
According to The Stroke Association:
• Stroke is the third most common cause of death
after heart disease and cancer
• A total of 110,000 people a year will have a stroke
and 50,000 will die
• Stroke is the single most common cause of severe
disability
• More than 250,000 people live with disabilities
caused by stroke
Stroke is the third leading killer, resulting in the following results annually:
• Every 3.5 minutes in the UK, someone has a
stroke
• Huge economic impact with costs of £7.2 billion
per year
Warning signs
Often there are no warning signs for a stroke, but if you experience any of the following symptoms, you should seek medical care immediately:
• Sudden weakness or numbness of the face, arms
or legs, particularly on one side of the body
• Sudden loss of speech or trouble understanding
speech
• Sudden unexplained memory loss
• Sudden dimness or loss of vision in one eye
• Sudden onset of double vision
• Sudden severe, acute headache
• Sudden dizziness or loss of balance
Risk factors
Men and women of all ages and races have strokes, but there are many different factors that increase your risk:
• Age (3/4 of all strokes occur in people over the
age of 65)
• Gender (males have an increased risk)
• Family history of strokes
• Race
• High blood pressure
• Heart disease
• Diabetes
• Smoking
• Heavy alcohol consumption
• Poor diet
• Being overweight or obese
• Physical inactivity
• High cholesterol levels
• Drug abuse
• Head and neck injuries
The best way to decrease your risk of a stroke is to identify the risk factors that you have and do what you can to eliminate them. While some risk factors (such as age and gender) cannot be changed, many of the most significant risk factors are controllable. Making lifestyle changes such as giving up smoking, exercising regularly and controlling high blood pressure, for example, will decrease your risk of a stroke.
Getting preventive health screenings is another way to be proactive about preventing a stroke.
Diagnosis
Strokes are diagnosed using a variety of tools, such as blood tests, brain scans and standardised questions that help physicians assess neurological functioning.
At Life Line Screening, we offer several screenings that help you understand your risk of strokes:
• Carotid artery disease screening
• Atrial fibrillation (irregular heartbeat) screening
• Complete lipid panel screening
• Glucose screening
Interested in learning more about strokes? Read our FAQs.
