Stroke Types, Risk Factors, and Pharmacological Management

Vocabulary flashcards covering the symptoms, types, risk factors, emergency treatments, and pharmacotherapy of stroke from the lecture notes.

Stroke Symptoms

Clinical warning signs that include sudden trouble walking, vision changes (blurred or loss of vision from $1$ or $2$ eyes), sudden numbness on one side, confusion or dizziness, difficulty speaking or understanding, and facial droop.

Ischemic Stroke

A stroke where the blood supply to the brain becomes blocked, representing $85\text{--}87\%$ of all stroke cases.

Thrombotic Stroke

A type of ischemic stroke caused by a blood clot blocking blood flow within a brain artery due to the buildup of fatty plaque (such as cholesterol) that narrows and hardens the artery.

Embolic Stroke

A type of ischemic stroke caused by a blood clot or other debris that forms elsewhere in the body (away from the brain) and travels to lodge in a brain artery.

Major Stroke Risk Factors

Predisposing elements including smoking, obesity, poor diet, age greater than $55\,\text{years}$, ethnicity, sex, and established coronary artery disease (CAD).

Tissue Plasminogen Activator (tPA)

A clot-busting medication that should be administered within $4.5\,\text{hours}$ of symptom onset in qualifying acute ischemic stroke patients.

Dual Antiplatelet Therapy (DAPT)

A combination therapy of aspirin and clopidogrel used for the short-term management of acute ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) in patients with a score of $0\text{--}3$ on the NIH Stroke Scale.

Antiplatelets

A class of drugs (including aspirin, ticagrelor, and clopidogrel) that interfere with platelets to prevent them from sticking together; associated with side effects such as bleeding, bruising, and tummy upset.

Anticoagulants

Medications (such as warfarin, dabigatran, rivaroxaban, and apixaban) that slow down the clotting process to decrease stroke risk; side effects include bleeding and bruising.

Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme (ACE) Inhibitors

Antihypertensive agents (including ramipril, lisinopril, perindopril, and enalapril) that lower blood pressure; known side effects include a persistent dry cough, headache, and dizziness.

Angiotensin II Receptor Blockers (ARBs)

Antihypertensive medications (such as candesartan, losartan, olmesartan, and telmisartan) that lower blood pressure; side effects include dizziness and headache.

Calcium Channel Blockers

Antihypertensive medications (including amlodipine, felodipine, and lercanidipine) that reduce blood pressure; potential side effects include headaches, swollen ankles, and constipation.