Ischemic Stroke, Brain Attack

Ischemic stroke is most commonly related to a narrowing or unstable arterial plaque in the arteries of the head or neck. There are two types of ischemic stroke: embolic stroke occurs when a blood clot travels from another location in the body to the brain such as in atrial fibrillation, or thrombotic stroke when a blood vessel plaque ruptures resulting in a clot (or thrombosis). A transient ischemic attack (TIA), sometimes called a mini-stroke, is characterized by symptoms of a stroke which last under 24 hours, and may be a warning sign for a stroke. Within this section, Preventive Health Advisor will include evidence-based methods of lifestyle and risk factor modification for prevention of ischemic stroke. As a general rule, Preventive Medicine, Integrative Medicine, and Lifestyle Medicine treatment methods for coronary heart disease will also reduce the risk of ischemic stroke. Therefore, in addition to this information, please refer to the section on coronary artery disease.