Preventing Stroke

The prevention of stroke may be thought of as a three-part process:

• Modification of lifestyle
• Selection of the appropriate prevention medications
• Surgical procedures to remove blockages in arteries that could lead to a stroke

UC San Diego Stroke Center works closely with you to help prevent stroke. We provide:

• Careful review of your medical history, along with a thorough neurological and physical exam
• Explanation of all studies and clinical trial opportunities that you may be a candidate for
• Complete and individualized plan of stroke prevention, taking into account personal risk factors and prior treatments

Surgical Stroke Treatment and Prevention

UC San Diego Health System is a leader in primary and secondary surgical treatment of stroke. Read more about preventing stroke through surgical treatments, including:

Treating Carotid Artery Stenosis:

• Carotid endarterectomy
• Carotid artery stenting

Treating Intracranial Atherosclerotic Disease (ICAD):

• Balloon angioplasty
• Intracranial stenting

Treating Cardiogenic Causes of Stroke:

• Diagnosis and control of arrhythmias (See Electrophysiology Program)
• Correcting patent foramen ovale

Treating Hemorrhagic Stroke:

• Neurovascular treatment and cranial surgery for cerebral aneurysms, AVMs, dural arteriovenous fistulas and cavernomas. UC San Diego Health System treats a higher percentage of patients who have had hemorrhagic strokes than any other San Diego County hospital.

Modification of Lifestyle

• Tobacco usage
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Diabetes
• Being overweight
• Alcohol consumption

Prevention Medications

Stroke researchers at UC San Diego have led the country in several studies designed to identify medications that are most successful in preventing strokes and TIAs. Some drugs alter the ability of the blood to clot by preventing platelets from aggregating.

Aspirin is the most common example, but two other agents, Clopidogrel and Ticlopidine have also been proven to prevent stroke.

Coumadin or warfarin is a different type of agent that alters the ability of the blood to clot by interfering with certain proteins in the bloodstream. Recently, this agent was found to give the same protection against stroke as aspirin, but only for certain types of stroke. This is another reason to have a stroke prevention analysis completed if you have risk factors for stroke.

The Stroke Center at UC San Diego Health System has two clinic locations:

UC San Diego Sulpizio Cardiovascular Center
9434 Medical Center Drive
La Jolla, CA 92037

UC San Diego Medical Center
200 West Arbor Drive
San Diego, CA 92103

To schedule an appointment, call 858-657-8530.