Silent strokes increase risk of future episodes, says UCI Health neurologist
Dr. Wengui Yu shares tips for reducing risk of all stroke types
IN THE NEWS: A recent brain health study gathered health data over a 20-year period to identify biomarkers and targets for preventing and curing brain diseases. When researchers scanned the brains of study participants, they found that some had “silent stokes” without knowing.
There are two types of strokes: ischemic and hemorrhagic. Ischemic strokes occur in about 80% of patients, when blood flow to part of the brain is blocked. A hemorrhagic stroke occurs when a blood vessel in the brain burst, causing bleeding in and around the organ.
Conversely, a silent stroke occurs when brain cells die without any symptoms of stroke, including slurred speech or paralysis. This is why individuals might not realize they have had a stroke unless they have an MRI or CT scan for another reason.
Dr. Wengui Yu, a neurologist and director of the UCI Health Comprehensive Stroke & Cerebrovascular Center, spoke with Parade about silent stokes and how they can increase the risk for future strokes.
He discussed the importance of seeing a doctor if an individual experiences any new symptoms that might be due to a silent stroke, along with the importance of following a healthy diet and exercising regularly.
Yu also touched on how to reduce the risk of a stroke, including:
- Not using tobacco products of any kind
- Minimizing alcohol use
- Keeping cholesterol in a healthy range
- Controlling hypertension and reducing diabetes risk with a healthy diet and lifestyle
Yu is also a neurointensivist and vascular neurologist and specializes in treating severe strokes and complex cerebrovascular disorders. His research interests include outcomes for severe stroke and traumatic brain injury, intra-cranial atherosclerotic stenosis, cervical arterial dissection, cerebral venous anomaly and inflammation of the central nervous system. He is the author or co-author of numerous peer-reviewed publications .
About UCI Health
UCI Health, one of California’s largest academic health systems, is the clinical enterprise of the University of California, Irvine. The 1,317-bed system comprises its main campus UCI Medical Center, its flagship hospital in Orange, Calif., the UCI Health — Irvine medical campus, four hospitals and affiliated physicians of the UCI Health Community Network in Orange and Los Angeles counties and a network of ambulatory care centers across the region. UCI Medical Center provides tertiary and quaternary care and is home to the only Orange County-based National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center, high-risk perinatal/neonatal program and American College of Surgeons-verified Level I adult and Level II pediatric trauma center, gold level 1 geriatric emergency department and regional burn center. Powered by UC Irvine, UCI Health serves nearly 5.7 million people in Orange County, western Riverside County and southeast Los Angeles County. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X (formerly Twitter).