Stroke Archive

Recent advances in caring for people with strokes include expanded access to medications and clot removal procedures. In certain cases, these therapies may be done up to 24 hours after stroke symptoms first appear.

All adults should get a lipoprotein(a) blood test at least once in their lifetime, according to the 2026 cholesterol guidelines. Also known as Lp(a), these fatty particles are similar to LDL (bad) cholesterol but more dangerous.

Aging and a family history can increase the risk for a stroke, but women can lower it by managing factors that are under their control-such as diet, exercise, blood pressure, smoking, and diabetes.

A cervical artery dissection is a tear in one of the arteries in the neck that carry blood to the brain. Although rare, it is one of the most common causes of stroke in people under age 50.

People who have gout, which results from excess uric acid in the body, are at increased risk for heart disease and stroke. A 2026 study found that maintaining uric acid levels below 6 mg/dL with medication reduced the risk for heart attack, stroke, and heart-related death.

The scientific understanding of HDL cholesterol has evolved in recent years, and many cardiologists now believe that HDL may be more of a bystander rather than a "good guy" that helps lower heart disease risk. While some types of HDL are great at plucking excess cholesterol from LDL and artery walls (a process referred to as reverse cholesterol transport) other types of HDL don't do this. In clinical trials, medications to raise HDL levels-including a drug specifically designed to improve reverse cholesterol transport-have not succeeded in lowering heart attacks and strokes.

An analysis shows less than 7% of adults in the US meet the criteria for optimal cardiometabolic health. Taking small steps to help control and improve key risk factors can reduce the odds of a heart attack or stroke.

Carotid artery stenosis, which happens when fatty plaque accumulates in neck arteries that supply the brain, leaves people vulnerable to a stroke. Intensive drug therapy may forestall the need for invasive procedures to treat this problem.

For stroke survivors, reaching a very low LDL (bad) cholesterol level may reduce their risk of future strokes and other cardiovascular problems, according to a 2025 study.