Everyone Healthy Library
Cerebrovascular Disease (stroke)
Condition / disease reference page from the Everyone Healthy database.
Connected health information
Explore this condition in a clear order
Linked signs and symptoms
20Each sign/symptom opens its own page and links back to related conditions.
- Brain or Intracranial Pressure Increase
- Coma
- Dizziness
- Eye: Vision Impairment
- Eyelid Drooping (Ptosis)
- Eyes Uncontrollable Constant Movement (Nystagmus)
- Headache (Cephalgia)
- Loss of Consciousness (Unconsciousness)
- Memory Loss: Forgetfulness
- Mind: Confusion
- Movement: Muscle Coordination Loss (Ataxia)
- Muscle Reflexes Below Normal (Hyporeflexia)
- Muscle Weakness
- Nausea
- Partial Paralysis of One Side of The Body (Hemiparesis)
- Poor Balance (Imbalance)
- Skin Tingling Or Numbness (Paresthesias)
- Speech Slurred
- Vision Double (Diplopia)
- Vomiting
Linked drugs / medications
1Medication information is educational only. A doctor or pharmacist should advise whether any medicine is appropriate.
Treatments, therapies and supportive options
15Grouped by treatment type. These are educational database links, not personal treatment recommendations. Evidence labels are shown only where stored in the EH database.
Surgery
1Medical therapy
1Preventative therapy
1Alternative and complementary therapies
8Alternative medicine
1Alternative therapies
2Linked diagnostic tests and investigations
7These are pulled from both EH diagnostic-test link tables, including the older large test-link table.
Biological and test markers
8This visual map uses existing EH database links to show biological agents and lab markers reported as increased, decreased, or associated with this condition. These are educational relationships only; test results must be interpreted by a qualified clinician because ranges vary by lab, method, age, sex and clinical context.
Often increased
7- Cerebrospinal Fluid Lactate DehydrogenaseReference range exampleInfant (0 - 1y): 0–75 units/L; Adult ( > 16y): 0–40 units/LLinked diagnostic tests1Cerebrospinal Fluid Lactic Dehydrogenase Concentration
- Creatine Kinase (CK)Reference range exampleAdult ( > 16y), Female: 35–150 units/L; Adult ( > 16y), Male: 40–170 units/LLinked diagnostic tests1Creatine Kinase Concentration
- Creatine Kinase1 (CK-BB) IsoenzymeReference range exampleAdult ( > 16y): 0–1 %Linked diagnostic tests1Creatine Kinase Concentration
- FibrinogenReference range exampleAdult ( > 16y): 150–400 mg/dLLinked diagnostic tests1Fibrinogen Concentration test
- HomocysteineReference range exampleAll, Female: 4–15 µmol/L; All, Male: 7–16 µmol/LLinked diagnostic tests1Homocysteine Concentration (HCY, Blood)
- Lactic Acid (Cerebrospinal Fluid, L-Lactate)Reference range exampleAdult ( > 16y): 9–21 mg/dL; Birth - 2wks: 10–65 mg/dLLinked diagnostic tests1Cerebrospinal Fluid Lactic Acid Concentration (L-Lactate)
- UrineReference range exampleAdult ( > 16y): 4.5–7.5; Child (0 - 16y): 500–1,400 mLLinked diagnostic tests5Urine Colour, Urine Creatinine Concentration
Often decreased
1Other associated markers
0No markers in this group.
Introduction / full article
Cerebrovascular Disease (stroke)
Efficacy of Alternative and Other Treatments According to GRADE* Ranking:
Pine Bark Extract [1, 2, 3, 4]:
Please note, this management does NOT treat the condition itself. It may mildly help with some of the symptoms, and even then has insufficient evidence to back up this claim at present.
Recommendation: weakly in favor (Early studies indicate potential for Pine bark extract in the treatment of strokes, but more clinical studies need to be done)
Grade of Evidence: low quality of evidence
Red Pepper (Capsaicin):
Please note, this management does NOT treat the condition itself. It is proposed only as a weak supportive symptomatic support, and even then, has insufficient evidence to back up this claim at present.
Recommendation: no recommendation (Available evidence does not support claims that Red Peppers help to treat or prevent strokes in any way)
Grade of Evidence: low quality of evidence
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT):
NOT RECOMENDED
Recommendation: strongly against (Available evidence does NOT support claims that HBOT helps to treat stroke in any way)
Grade of Evidence: Moderate quality of evidence
Acupuncture:
Recommendation: weakly in favor (Although evidence is not strong, studies have shown that Acupuncture can help in the supportive care and rehabilitation of stroke patients. It is, however, NOT a treatment for stroke)
Grade of Evidence: very low quality of evidence
Qigong:
Recommendation: no recommendation (there is insufficient evidence to show that Qigong can help treat Angina in any way)
Grade of Evidence: very low quality of evidence
* www.gradeworkinggroup.org
Summary References
Treatments:
1. Ades T, Alteri R, Gansler T, Yeargin P, "Complete Guide to Complimentary & Alternative Cancer Therapies", American Cancer Society, Atlanta USA, 2009
2. http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct/show/NCT00214032
3. http://www.cancer.org/Treatment/TreatmentsandSideEffects/ComplementaryandAlternativeMedicine/HerbsVitaminsandMinerals/pine-bark-extract
4. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/patient-pycnogenol.html