[Cerebrovascular insufficiency--1. How to reduce the risk of stroke]

Extracranial stenosis of the carotid artery may lead to cerebral ischemic events and stroke. For this reason, such symptoms as transient ischemic attacks (TIA), unilateral syndrome or amaurosis fugax, the arteries feeding the brain should be investigated. In addition to bilateral palpation and auscultation of the arteries, modern ultrasonographic methods have an important role to play. The aim of treatment is secondary prevention of ischemic stroke, and possibly even to achieve regression of the vascular lesion. This necessitates the elimination of atherogenic risk factors. Particularly suitable as preventive medication, are platelet aggregation inhibitors, such as, acetylsalicylic acid and clopidogrel, which can also be applied postoperatively and postinterventionally to prevent recurrence.