Cerebrovascular accident (CVA) is a neurological disease that develops in the cerebral arteries and can be of two types: first, the ischemia that occurs when an artery becomes clogged and the incidence of which corresponds to 80% of cases, and the other hemorrhagic stroke that occurs when an artery ruptures, and accounts for 20% of the total.
Although in both there is the possibility of acting against the event, for some time, experts emphasize the importance of working to prevent strokes develop. This involves not only educate and inform the prevention, but also to develop new drugs that help to stabilize the situations or conditions that may pose a hazard.
While there are certain risk factors that influence the likelihood of occurrence of ischemic stroke that are publicly known (egg hypertension, smoking, cholesterol, alcohol, and stress, among others), there is a cause they do not usually prestársele attention.
According to Dr. Lucian Esposito, director of the Department of Neurology, INECO, and director of the Stroke Center Neuroscience Institute at Favaloro Foundation, “it is atria fibrillation, a heart condition that unfortunately people do not usually take into account, and although treatable, so far the available approaches have some cons. “
This condition, according to the expert, is triggered by the existence of some of the above risk factors, but also “as a result of certain age and medical history.”
“The left atrium of the heart-site which trigger nerve pulses that enable the heart to contract-begins to make movements very irregular and of low amplitude that instead of passing the blood generate causing it to stagnate thrombi that at some point may begin to travel through the bloodstream and go, for example, to the head, “he added.
This situation, which so far has been neglected both by patients who often do not notice the symptoms of atria fibrillation, such as physicians, is responsible for between 13 and 18% of ischemic strokes that occur in the world.
The main symptoms of atria fibrillation include shortness of breath upon mild exercise and even at rest, fainting, palpitations and feeling that the heart is beating very strong and disorganized.
“But as they all may go unnoticed or not be related to this particular condition, time is wasted in making the diagnosis, and therefore reduces the possibility of working on prevention,” explained Esposito. In this regard, adding that “it is very important that people learn to take your pulse, but also those with some background check with their doctor regularly.”
So far there are three ways to prevent atria fibrillation. On the one hand, ant arrhythmic treatment with drugs that help the heart to regain its normal rhythm. On the other hand, the surgical or invasive treatment is reserved for only a few patients.
“Finally, in third place is the approach with an anticoagulant indicated for people who actually suffer from atria fibrillation, but also have a certain age and have some very specific history. The main ‘against’ of these drugs as we knew until now passes for the possibility of occurrence of bleeding (the brain is the most feared) because what these drugs is ‘blend’ blood, “remarked the director of Department of Neurology, INEC.