>From: Amadeus Schmidt <[log in to unmask]>

>Risk of stroke? A stroke is when a small deposition on blood vessels drops
>away into the bloodstream, reaches the brain and blocks an artery there -
>the related brain cells die.

Actually, you've just described thrombotic stroke (and then it's not usually
the deposit that breaks off, it's a clot that forms on the plaque that then
breaks off and causes the blockage). There is another type, hemorrhagic
stroke, which happens when a weak spot in a blood vessel (usually in the
brain) bursts. Damage occurs through lack of blood flow to the brain and
also increased pressure (due to blood accumulation) on the brain. Prognosis
after a hemorrhagic stroke is usually less favourable than after a
thrombotic stroke.

I'm not at home right now so don't have my references handy, but IIRC, the
ratio is something like 75-80% of strokes are thrombotic, most of the
balance are hemorrhagic. A small number of strokes are caused by other
factors.

Irene

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