Don’t be lured in by this dangerous “fix” to reduce stroke risk

Don’t be lured in by this dangerous stroke risk “fix”

“You’re on the verge of a stroke. It could strike at any moment.”

If your doctor gives you that terrifying news, then tells you he can fix it, you might want be the first to say “Well, what are we waiting for?!”

But hold on. It’s not time to rush.

That’s because this “fix” is actually more likely to cause the very stroke you’re trying to avoid.

Mainline to the brain

Your carotid arteries run up either side of your neck. They deliver blood to your brain. Narrowing of either artery raises stroke risk.

But clearing these arteries is exceedingly dangerous business. So no matter what you’ve been told, don’t believe this is a routine procedure or “perfectly safe.”

There are two ways to do it. In one (called endarterectomy), a surgeon cuts open the artery, removes the blockage, then closes the artery.

And yes — it’s just as risky as it sounds. Many patients have a stroke or heart attack during surgery. But even when it’s successful, stroke risk is reduced by less than five percent — over five years.

In the other method, a stent is inserted in the artery. This is less invasive, but even more dangerous in the long run. In one study, more deaths occurred within four years among stent patients than in those who had endarterectomy.

The tragedy is that most of these procedures weren’t even necessary. Researchers found that in eight out of 10 cases, carotid arteries were not severely blocked enough to require any intervention at all!

Now all that is certainly bad enough. But it just got even worse.

New research reveals that far too many older patients are being talked into undergoing these procedures. We know why. It’s an easy way to bilk Medicare for millions. But the results are horrendous.

In older seniors, stroke and heart attack risks were higher with the stenting technique. And in endarterectomy, there were more fatalities during surgery.

These procedures are unsafe at any age. But older patients especially need to be on guard against persuasive arguments to get a quick fix.

An easy pay day for them could turn into a nightmare for you and your family.

Sources:
“Stents to Increase Risk of Stroke within the Elderly” Ivanhoe Newswire, 10/29/13, ivanhoe.com

“Endarterectomy versus Stenting in Patients with Symptomatic Severe Carotid Stenosis” New England Journal of Medicine, Vol. 355, nejm.org