Medical Conditions
Risk factor control to prevent a first stroke (primary prevention)
| Medical Conditions |
Therapeutic Goal |
Measures | |||||||||
| Hypertension | • Decrease build-up of atherosclerotic plaque; reduce direct damage to walls of small arteries and arterioles |
• Lifestyle modifications and antihypertensive medications reducing blood pressure to <140/90 mmHg |
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Diabetes Mellitus |
• Decrease rate of atherosclerosis, and its secondary consequences such as hypertension |
• Diet, oral hypoglycemics, or insulin to reduce or normalize blood glucose levels if possible |
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| Hyperlipidemia | • Reduce or prevent atherosclerotic plaque formation |
• Diet limiting fats, increased physical activity, possible use of a statin or other lipid-lowering agent |
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| Carotid Artery Stenosis (asymptomatic) | • Prevent thrombus forming on existing atherosclerotic plaque • Improve blood flow by increasing size of lumen |
• Antiplatelet agents • Endarterectomy or angioplasty; possible plaque reduction by diet and statins |
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| Atrial Fibrillation |
• Restore normal rhythym • Prevent clot formation in left atrium |
• Cardioversion • Antiarrhythmic drugs • Oral anticoagulant (preferred) or antiplatelet agent |
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