Stroke Pathophysiology

     The number one cause of stroke is underlying heart or blood vessel disease. According to the Stroke Center Online, the primary pathologies for stroke include, but are not completely limited to: hypertension, atherosclerosis leading to coronary artery disease, dyslipidemia, heart disease, and hyperlipidemia. The reasoning behind this is that the greater the amount of plaque in arteries present, the more the chance of blood flow to the brain be stopped, thus initiating stroke incidence. The more heavily the arteries are clogged, the slower and more difficult blood flow, thus leaving less time to respond to this medical emergency.

Extensive Article on Pathophysiology of Stroke

     Some non-reducable risk factors include things such as age (the older one gets, the more likely stroke becomes), previous stroke (causes future strokes to become more likely), gender, ethnicity, family history with stroke, and a pre-diagnosed case of diabetes. There are also several risk factors that can be reduced with healthy diet and exercise, such as hypertension, high blood cholesterol, smoking, and regulation of diabetes and heart disease.

     The management of various heart diseases is not an easy task, but can be most controlled through diet and exercise. The greater level that plaque can be reduced, the easier it is for those in a "healthy" lifestyle to maintain their figure. 

     For the most part, when a stroke occurs, it occurs very quickly. The most time consuming aspect of this disease is the buildup of plaque in arteries that travel to or near the brain, which occurs over a long amount of time. There is increasing research that suggests that the incidence of infection and inflammation in arteries in the weeks leading up to stroke is evident and important. The interaction of plaque buildup and structural artery instability is important in analyzing the occurrence of stroke, because these are the two greatest factors that play a part in determining when a stroke occurs as well as how dangerous it may be. 

     The most dangerous aspect of stroke incidence is the lack of oxygen to the brain, whether the pathway is completely or significantly blocked. After even 4 minutes of no oxygen supply to the brain, irreversible brain damage occurs, with essentially no survivors after 10-15 minutes. This is hugely essential to understanding the need for fast and effective treatment of stroke with CPR or other lifesaving methods, because time is essential when it comes to mortality. The more time it takes to recognize a stroke and to begin it's treatment, the greater risk of mortality. 

http://blam-lab.org/publications/pdf/Papers/Krakauer07DynamicsStrk.pdf

http://www.strokecenter.org/professionals/stroke-management/for-pharmacists-counseling/pathophysiology-and-etiology/