Heart attacks and strokes share the same underlying causes and most of the same risk factors.
Strokes and heart attacks are severe cardiovascular diseases (CVD) with symptoms that can start suddenly without the patient realizing it. A leading cause of death in Canada and globally, their long-term health effects may be life-changing. They can potentially leave the patient in a state of helplessness and needing constant care.
One main similarity between strokes and heart attacks is that they both directly result from inadequate blood flow. A stroke occurs when blood flow to the brain is blocked. On the other hand, a heart attack results from insufficient blood supply to the heart. The treatment modalities for both conditions also differ. However, receiving immediate medical assistance can be the difference between recovery, survival, or severe damage for both conditions.
Signs and symptoms of a stroke can vary from person to person, but someone who’s having a stroke may experience:
The major symptoms of a heart attack are
Other symptoms of a heart attack could include unusual or unexplained tiredness and nausea or vomiting. Women are more likely to have these other symptoms.
Heart attacks and most strokes are both caused by something called atherosclerosis, the buildup of fatty plaque within certain blood vessels called arteries. Plaque is a thick, gritty material made of cholesterol, fats, calcium, and blood cells. It builds up slowly and causes arteries in the body to narrow and stiffen.
Sometimes, a piece of plaque can break off and travel downstream where it can completely block off blood supply to an organ or muscle. If the blockage happens to an artery supplying blood to the heart muscle (a coronary artery), that’s a heart attack. If the blockage happens in the neck or brain, that can cause a stroke.
Anything you can do to address the modifiable risk factors for atherosclerosis can help to prevent heart attacks or strokes from happening.
In practice, that means:
People affected by CVDs may go undiagnosed until the occurrence of a serious heart failure event such as stroke, heart attack, and myocardial infarction.
DEXA scan is an imaging test that measures your bone health, body fat, and muscle mass.
A DXA scan can also be useful as part of a cardiovascular risk assessment to prevent stroke and heart attack. A Heart & Stroke Risk Assessment from Dexacan offers an analysis of the body composition and bone density which may help to assess certain cardiovascular risk factors, such as the presence of abdominal aortic calcification, which has been found to be a marker of increased risk of cardiovascular events.
Call 778-760-2161 or book an appointment with Dexacan today to learn more about how a cardiovascular DEXA screening can help predict and prevent heart disease or a stroke even without symptoms.
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