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Medical Author:

Daniel Lee Kulick, MD, FACC, FSCAI

Daniel Lee Kulick, MD, FACC, FSCAI

Dr. Kulick received his undergraduate and medical degrees from the University of Southern California, School of Medicine. He performed his residency in internal medicine at the Harbor-University of California Los Angeles Medical Center and a fellowship in the section of cardiology at the Los Angeles County-University of Southern California Medical Center. He is board certified in Internal Medicine and Cardiology.

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Medical Author:

Dennis Lee, MD

Dennis Lee, MD

Dr. Lee was born in Shanghai, China, and received his college and medical training in the United States. He is fluent in English and three Chinese dialects. He graduated with chemistry departmental honors from Harvey Mudd College. He was appointed president of AOA society at UCLA School of Medicine. He underwent internal medicine residency and gastroenterology fellowship training at Cedars Sinai Medical Center.

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Medical Editor:

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

Dr. Shiel received a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from the University of Notre Dame. There he was involved in research in radiation biology and received the Huisking Scholarship. After graduating from St. Louis University School of Medicine, he completed his Internal Medicine residency and Rheumatology fellowship at the University of California, Irvine. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology.

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In this Article

• Introduction
• What is atherosclerosis?
• What are coronary heart diseases (CHD)?
• What is angina pectoris?
• What is a heart attack?
• Ventricular fibrillation
• Heart failure
• What is cerebral vascular disease?
• Ischemic stroke
• Hemorrhagic stroke
• Transient ischemic attack (TIA)
• When does the coronary atherosclerosis process begin?
• Have most people done enough to prevent atherosclerosis and heart attacks?
• What are the risk factors for coronary atherosclerosis and heart disease?
• How can coronary atherosclerosis and heart attacks be prevented?
• Find a local Cardiologist in your town
• Heart Attack and Atherosclerosis Prevention Index

A hemorrhagic stroke occurs when a blood vessel in the brain ruptures, and blood leaks into the surrounding brain tissue. A hemorrhagic stroke, like an ischemic stroke, causes the death of tissue by depriving the brain of blood and oxygen. The accumulation of blood from the hemorrhage also can put pressure on adjacent parts of the brain and damage them as well.

A subarachnoid hemorrhage is a rupture of a blood vessel that is located between the outer surface of the brain and the inside of the skull. The blood vessel at the point of rupture often has been weakened by the development of an aneurysm (an abnormal ballooning of the wall of the blood vessel). Subarachnoid hemorrhages usually cause a sudden, severe headache and often are complicated by additional neurological problems, such as paralysis, coma, and even death.

A transient ischemic attack (TIA) often is referred to as a mini-stroke. TIAs are caused by the temporary reduction in flow of blood (ischemia) to the brain and is most often caused by a clot that spontaneously forms in a carotid artery. Patients with TIA's often have narrowed (or, less often, ulcerated) carotid arteries due to atherosclerosis. TIAs typically last 2 to 30 minutes, although symptoms sometimes can last 24 hours and can produce problems with vision, dizziness, weakness of the arms or legs, and trouble speaking. A TIA is different from a stroke in that it does not cause permanent death of brain tissue. Without treatment, however, patients with TIAs are at high risk for having a stroke with permanent damage to the brain.