The risk of stroke can be better mitigated with lifestyle changes and medication than through invasive procedures, a study at Australia’s Monash University shows.
Analysing more than 40 years of data on common treatments for advanced carotid stenosis—a leading cause of stroke—Monash University researcher Associate Professor Anne Abbott from the Central Clinical School found that surgery and stents have a similar or even lower impact on reducing stroke risk than lifestyle factors such as diet, exercise and giving up smoking, combined with appropriate medication.
Carotid artery stenosis, which affects one in ten people by age 80, is a condition caused by the build-up of fatty deposits (plaques) in the main artery, which delivers blood to the brain, resulting in restricted blood supply and a high risk of stroke….