Stroke and heart failure
A stroke happens when your brain becomes starved for oxygen because its blood supply has been significantly reduced or blocked. This complication is often the result of a blood clot that becomes lodged in one of the arteries that supply your brain with oxygen-rich blood. A stroke can cause various problems, such as slurred speech or partial paralysis. A stroke can cause long-term problems because brain damage is often irreversible.
Heart failure can cause a stroke because an enlarged or "baggy" heart may allow blood to pool in the left atrium or ventricle, where it can form small clots. One of these clots could make its way out of the heart, into your bloodstream, and to your brain. Heart failure can also cause stroke because atrial fibrillation may also be a complication of heart failure.
| Author: | Robin Parks, MS | Last Updated: September 1, 2006 |
| Medical Review: | Caroline S. Rhoads, MD - Internal Medicine Stephen Fort, MD, MRCP, FRCPC - Interventional Cardiology | |
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