This is thought to be because more Americans are living longer, medical care is helping more people to survive heart disease, and doctors are better able to diagnose and detect strokes. Since stroke is a leading cause of death, it is important to understand what it is and how it can be prevented and treated. What's more, stroke appears to be a triggering event for people whose genes predispose them to Alzheimer's disease. A. A stroke is the death of an area of nerve cells in the brain, occurring when the blood supply to the area is blocked. One of three people who have TIAs will have a stroke within the following 5 years if they do not get treatment.
Clots can form around deposits sticking out from the arterial wall.
All these conditions cause a decrease in blood flow to the brain, thus decreasing the amount of oxygen to the brain tissue. Brain tissue, like the heart muscle in a heart attack, begins to die when it does not get enough oxygen. Obviously, individuals experiencing TIAs are at increased risk for stroke. In addition, a longitudinal study that received a lot of media attention showed a higher prevalence, most notably in men, of stroke in people with migraine than in those without migraine. While some experts believe it's difficult to isolate and quantify the risk in such a study because so many other factors can come into play, they do recognize that there may be a slightly elevated risk, particularly among those who do not receive therapy for their migraines.