A stroke of knowledge to avoid cerebral vascular accident

The prevalence of stroke in urban cities is high in industrialised countries. High levels of disability and dependence in the other mainly rural and less-developed sites is one likely explanation for the lower prevalence in those settings. As the health transition proceeds, a further increase in numbers of older stroke survivors is to be anticipated. In addition to prevention, stroke rehabilitation and long-term care needs should be addressed. (1)

Heart Rate

The sinoatrial node, acting alone, produces a constant rhythmic heart rate.

Regulating factors are reliant on the atrioventricular-node to increase or decrease the heart rate to adjust cardiac output to meet the changing needs of the body.Most changes in the heart rate are mediated through the cardiac centre in the medulla oblongata of the brain.

The centre has both sympathetic and parasympathetic components that adjust the heartrate to meet the changing needs of the body. Peripheral factors such as emotions, ion concentrations,and body temperature may affect heart rate.

ECG/EKG

The way that these signals spread through the heart can also be measured on the surface of our skin. An ECG measures these changes in electrical signals (or, in fact, voltage) on different areas of skin and plots them as a graph. The resulting ECG graph is called an electrocardiogram.

Key statistics:

Stroke strikes every five minutes

100,000 people have strokes each year

There are 1.3 million stroke survivors in the UK

Most common type of cardiovascular disease(CVD). (2)

1. Atherosclerosis

2. Hypertension

3. Coronary Heart Disease

Pathogenesis of atherosclerosis (stroke)

Coronary arteries become narrowed by a build-upof atheroma, a fatty material within their walls–caused by atherosclerosis. The pain or discomfort felt from such narrowing is called angina and if a blockage occurs it can cause a myocardial infarction (heart attack) or stroke.

Atherosclerosis is a potentially serious condition where arteries become clogged with fatty substances called plaques or atheroma. Plaques develop over a long period of time andprogress through different stages before they might become problematic.

Schematic of the life history of an atheroma (3)

Reference:

1) http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/jnnp.2010.234153

2) Nature 420, 868-874(19 December 2002) doi:10.1038/nature01323

3) https://www.stroke.org.uk