Stroke Archive

The weight-loss drug semaglutide is the first obesity treatment shown to help people live longer and have fewer cardiovascular problems. Developed as a drug for type 2 diabetes, semaglutide was first marketed as Ozempic; a higher-dose version for weight loss is called Wegovy. But because the drug is so popular, it can be hard to find, and it might not be covered by insurance.

Many people who suffer a first-time stroke had a prior warning from a transient ischemic attack (TIA), also known as a ministroke. TIAs can last anywhere from 30 seconds to 20 minutes, although most usually last at least five minutes. TIAs usually have typical stroke symptoms, but because they are mild and brief they tend to be missed or ignored. People should seek immediate medical care after an attack.

Metabolic syndrome is a constellation of interrelated health conditions that significantly increases the risk for heart attacks, strokes, diabetes, and more. A diagnosis requires at least three of the following risk factors: obesity, high blood sugar, high triglycerides, low HDL (good) cholesterol, or high blood pressure. Metabolic syndrome can be reversed if it's recognized. Losing weight is central to reducing many of its features. Lowering elevated blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol levels also plays a major role in reducing the risk for heart disease and stroke.

For preventing repeat heart attacks, coated aspirin is just as effective as regular aspirin, but it does not appear to provide extra protection against bleeding risk.

Up to three in 10 people who use marijuana may be unable to stop using the drug, even when it has negative effects on their lives. A 2023 study links this problem- known as cannabis use disorder-to a higher risk of heart problems.

Even slightly elevated blood sugar levels—a condition known as pre-diabetes—may raise the risk of cardiovascular problems. But attention to weight loss and greater use of medications to lower blood pressure and cholesterol appear to reduce the risk.

Approximately 88 million Americans—more than one in three—have prediabetes, a condition in which the average amount of sugar in the blood (glucose) is high but not high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes. Among people who develop prediabetes, older ones are less likely than younger ones to eventually develop full-blown diabetes. Still, they should have their glucose levels checked, as prediabetes can put them at high risk for heart attack and stroke.

People who get migraines with aura have a slightly higher risk of heart attack, stroke, or death from cardiovascular disease than people who get migraines without aura or no migraines. But migraines are most common in younger women, whose baseline risk of cardiovascular problems is very low in the first place. Still, those who get migraine with aura should be sure to tell their primary care provider or gynecologist. Taking estrogen-containing birth control pills or hormone therapy may further raise stroke risk in these women.

A 2023 study suggests taking testosterone replacement therapy does not raise the risk for heart attacks or stroke among men with cardiovascular disease or a high risk for it, but it could increase the risk of atrial fibrillation, acute kidney injury, and pulmonary embolism.

Excessive drinking can contribute to high blood pressure, obesity, and stroke, while moderate drinking (no more than one drink per day for women and two drinks or fewer per day for men) is linked to a lower risk of heart problems. One possible mechanism might be stress reduction. Brain scans of people who reported light to moderate drinking show less activity in the part of the brain that responds to stress, compared with the scans of people who abstained or drank very little. Stress not only raises blood pressure and heart rate but also triggers inflammation that causes plaque buildup, which contributes to heart attacks.