Q. My father had a stroke. I have coronary artery disease. Should I be tested to see if I’m at high risk for a stroke, too?
A
Atherosclerosis is a systemic disease, also called a polyvascular or multi-site disease. Plaques formed of fats, cholesterol and white blood cells may accumulate in blood vessels throughout the body. However, they may grow and mature at different rates. People with plaques in the arteries of their heart (coronary artery disease, or CAD) also may develop plaques in the arteries leading to their brain (cerebrovascular artery disease) and the arteries in their legs and feet (peripheral artery disease, or PAD). This puts them at risk of heart attack, stroke and critical limb ischemia potentially leading to amputation. The treatment for atherosclerosis is the same, regardless of where its plaques are located.
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