New Study Reveals Clogged Arteries May Lead to Stroke, Brain Attack

A blockage of blood to the heart can also lead to a stroke, a new study has found.

Findings published last week in the medical journal Stroke challenged the long-held belief that strokes, also referred to as brain attacks, are mainly caused by issues with blood circulation in the brain. Researchers now say people with arterial clogs caused by calcium deposits, otherwise known as coronary artery calcification or blocked arteries, are at a higher risk for stroke.

The study looked at 4,180 people between the ages of 45 and 75, who had never had a heart attack or a stroke. The test subjects were monitored for about eight years, during which the subjects collectively suffered 92 strokes.

If was discovered the people who had those strokes had a greater incidence of blocked arteries than the study participants. The researchers concluded coronary artery calcification "is an independent stroke predictor in addition to classical risk factors in subjects at low or intermediate vascular risk."

Some of the other factors researchers agree indicate risk of stroke are:

Uncontrolled high blood pressure. As for all cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure is a major risk factor for stroke, says the American Heart Association.  Female stroke victims, in particular, tend to have uncontrolled blood pressure;

Smoking. When compared to nonsmokers, cigarette smokers have double the risk of ischemic stroke. As well,  a study of women ages 15 to 49 in a recent issue of the journal Stroke noted risk was proportional to the number of cigarettes smoked per day. Women who smoked two or more packs a day had a stroke risk nine times higher than that of a nonsmoker.

History of stroke in the family. If you have a relative who has suffered a stroke, your risk of suffering one increases your chances of having one.

Migraines. Researchers suspect this severe type of headache may lead to a higher risk of suffering an ischemic stroke, though the biological reason is unclear. Some  think  a common heart defect causes both some strokes and many migraines. Other research suggests people who have migraines with aura, or visual disturbances, have a higher stroke risk of stroke than those who have migraines without this symptom.