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[Heart disease and stroke]

Eivind Berge1, Trond Dahl

  • 1Medisinsk divisjon, Ullevål universitetssykehus, 0407 Oslo. eivind.berge@medisin.uio.no

Tidsskrift for Den Norske Laegeforening : Tidsskrift for Praktisk Medicin, Ny Raekke
|April 17, 2007
PubMed

Insights

Heart disease and stroke share common risk factors and treatments. Heart conditions, like atrial fibrillation, can directly cause strokes, necessitating consideration of cardiac sources in brain infarctions.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Medicine
  • Neurology
  • Public Health

Context:

  • Heart disease and stroke are leading causes of death and disability.
  • Atherosclerosis is a primary cause for both conditions, highlighting shared risk factors and prognoses.

Purpose:

  • To review the intricate relationship between heart diseases and stroke.
  • To provide guidance for the clinical management of patients with suspected cardioembolic stroke.

Summary:

  • Approximately 25% of cerebral infarctions stem from cardiac embolism, primarily due to atrial fibrillation, but also from conditions like myocardial infarction and prosthetic heart valves.
  • Hemodynamic stroke can occur from a cardiac-induced drop in blood pressure in patients with arterial stenosis.
  • Patients with atherosclerosis in one arterial system should be managed with the assumption of high risk in other systems.

Impact:

  • Emphasizes the critical need to consider cardiac embolic sources in all acute brain infarction cases.
  • Informs clinical practice for managing patients at risk of both heart disease and stroke.
  • Promotes a holistic approach to patient care by recognizing the interconnectedness of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular health.
Abstract

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