Causes and Risk Factors
Watershed strokes are caused by ischemia or a lack a blood flow to the brain. There are several causes of ischemia, including embolism and atherosclerosis. There are several conditions that can predispose someone to watershed stroke by increasing the likelihood that insufficient blood supply will be able to reach the brain. People with many different cardiovascular diseases have a higher likelihood of experiencing a clot or a plaque that impedes flow through a blood vessel. Cardiovascular diseases that increase the risk of ischemia include:
- Congestive heart failure, which can lead to an inability to pump sufficient amounts of blood to the brain
- Atherosclerosis, which can cause a buildup of cholesterol plaques in the blood vessels, thereby decreasing the volume of blood that can flow through the vessel and reach the brain
- Angiopathy, a disease of the blood vessels
- Arterial hypotension, or low blood pressure in the arteries
- Hypertension, or high blood pressure
- Hyperlipidemia, or excessive cholesterol buildup in the blood vessels
- Diseases such as sickle cell anemia, which can lead to deformed red blood cells clogging blood vessels and impeding blood flow
- Carotid artery stenosis, or narrowing of the carotid artery which can decrease the volume of blood flow to the brain
Read more about this topic: Watershed Stroke
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