Stroke Risk Factors
Stroke Risk Factors
Renee Van Stavern, MD, Washington University neurologist at Barnes-Jewish Hospital, talks about the different types of stroke including ischemic strokes and hemorrhagic strokes. Dr. Van Stavern also provides an overview of both the controllable and uncontrollable risk factors for stroke. Barnes-Jewish Hospital takes pride in providing a tailored, patient-focused approach to stroke care.
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Content
0.56 -> [music]
6.5 -> My name is Renee Van Stavern, and I am an associate professor of neurology here at Washington University.
13.34 -> I am part of the administration for teaching
young doctors how to be better neurologists.
21.21 -> And a large part of that is teaching them
how to deal with stroke patients.
26.49 -> There are a number of different types of strokes.
29.17 -> Stroke isn’t just one disease.
31.68 -> We typically divide strokes into two types.
36.44 -> There is a blood vessel blockage kind of stroke,
which is called an ischemic stroke.
42.45 -> There are strokes where blood vessels break
open.
45.46 -> Those are called hemorrhagic strokes.
48.19 -> And even within those broad categories, there
are multiple other types of strokes.
54.809 -> Certainly reasons why folks might have strokes
as well.
58 -> So it’s really a multitude of different
diseases rather than just one disease,
64.88 -> which is why here at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and
Washington University, we take such pride
71.009 -> in trying to provide a tailored approach to
stroke care when we see our patients in the hospital.
76.58 -> What I’d really like for folks to learn is
probably two things.
81.219 -> Just keep it very simple.
82.819 -> Number one, to recognize the sorts of signs
and symptoms that they could have if they
91.469 -> were having a stroke at the time, so that
they know to call 911.
95.399 -> And number two would be, to use it as an opportunity
to make themselves healthier.
104.03 -> To start working with their doctors if they’re
not already, on some of these medical problems
110.1 -> that we can do something about that prevent
strokes.
113.399 -> To use it as an opportunity to eat healthier,
to become more active.
118.02 -> I mean, they don’t have to start running
a marathon.
121.09 -> But just to even add five minutes to their
walking routine or get started on a walking routine,
126.704 -> or it doesn’t even have to be walking.
128.95 -> Just some way that they’re more active on
a day-to-day basis.
133.48 -> Using the step counter on their, you know,
on their smart phones, for example.
137.26 -> But I think those would be the two things
that if I were designing a program,
142.76 -> that I would probably focus on.
144.89 -> Some of the primary risk factors for stroke,
there are some that we can control and some
148.81 -> that we can’t.
150.19 -> Sorts of things that we can’t control are
things like gender and age.
157.29 -> Things that we can control include things
like high blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes
165.22 -> to some degree.
166.29 -> Are, you know, kind of exercise and lifestyle
habits.
170.78 -> And treatments of other medical conditions,
like cholesterol blockages in the arteries
175.33 -> of the neck or abnormal heart rhythms.
178.66 -> And then, of course, a big lifestyle thing
like smoking.
181.08 -> In particular, high blood pressure is one
of the biggest risks and modifiable risks
187.35 -> for stroke, and honestly, other vascular diseases.
191.16 -> So it covers a lot of ground from a health,
a wellness and risk prevention perspective.
200.73 -> So the biggest thing there is doing the best
that you can to keep your blood pressure normal.
206.06 -> And so for some people, all that means is
regular exercise at least 30 to 90 minutes
213.4 -> a day, five days a week.
215.13 -> For other people, that may mean one or more
medications that they take on a daily basis
221.88 -> and work on with their regular doctor to try
to adjust the doses of those medications,
227.37 -> so that they find the right balance between
getting their blood pressure as close to normal
232.77 -> as possible versus any potential side effects
that they might have from those medications.
237.9 -> I think that certainly over the next 10 to
20 years, there will be additional advancements.
246.03 -> What we’ve seen just in the last five to
10 has certainly very recently made a big
252.66 -> difference in how we are approaching our stroke
patients.
256.18 -> Certainly, TPA, which is also known clot buster,
was one of the biggest advancements.
263.1 -> But that treatment came out in 1995, and it
was really slow to be adopted by, by a lot
271.419 -> of hospitals and communities.
272.879 -> I think then the last decade, that’s really
been on the uptick.
277.33 -> And certainly these inside the blood vessel
treatments are also things that now people
283.419 -> are really latching onto as something that
can potentially be done for our acute stroke patients.
290.99 -> So I think we’re going to see more and more
of that from the perspective of acute stroke
295.54 -> and when people are first having their symptoms.
299.44 -> [music]
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbbQy8CnIfo