Stroke Awareness Month: Ischemic Stroke

As May is National Stroke Awareness Month, we want to highlight the importance of carotid ultrasounds in stroke prevention.

More Common Than You Think

Every 40 seconds, someone in the United States has a stroke. [1]

Every 4 minutes, someone in the United States dies from a stroke. [1]

These startling statistics consist of three different types of strokes: ischemic, hemorrhagic, and transient ischemic attack (TIA). Most of the strokes that occur – 87% of them – are ischemic. [1] This type of stroke is caused by a blood clot or plaque build-up blocking off an artery that supplies blood to the brain. 

Know the Risks

There are many factors that could put a patient at a higher risk of having an ischemic stroke. Risk only increases with age and strokes are the largest long-term disability cause for older adults in America. Strokes are more likely to happen in men at a younger age, but because women tend to live longer, women are at greater lifetime risk. People who have had a stroke previously, or have a history of stroke in their family, are also at an elevated risk. More risks include, but are not limited to:

• Diabetes
• High blood pressure
• Hypertension
• Using blood thinners

Technology for Stroke Prevention

Ultrasound imaging plays a critical role in the prevention of ischemic stroke by allowing trained sonographers to capture images of arteries via non-invasive sound waves. Physicians use the resulting images to detect the presence of plaque in arteries or clots in the patient’s blood, hopefully, before these conditions can lead to a stroke. These screenings allow patients to be informed about their health, collaborate with their physician for a plan of care, or make changes to their routine, diet, and medication use.

Talk to your healthcare provider if you are having any symptoms or fall into a high-risk category for strokes. If they recommend a carotid ultrasound, ask them to contact New Frontier Mobile Diagnostics at (913) 428-9488, so you can receive quality, affordable answers to your questions.