Center Offers Screening, Education, Counseling and Surgical Alternative

Stroke experts at LIJ Medical Center are encouraging residents to take a more active role in their health by getting a thorough screening to assess their risk for stroke, a life-threatening and potentially disabling disease.

The hospital’s new Stroke Prevention Clinic – the only one of its kind in Queens or Nassau counties – educates and counsels high-risk patients, as well as those who do not know they are at risk, and can advise whether an effective surgical technique to clean out arteries is appropriate. The clinic’s staff provides a detailed physical exam and history; a noninvasive ultrasound of the carotid artery (a test of the major arteries in the neck that supply blood to the brain); and risk-factor analysis.

A stroke happens when circulation to the brain fails. Arteries can become clogged with fat and cholesterol, reducing blood supply to an area of the brain, or there can be bleeding into the brain from a ruptured blood vessel. Blood clots can travel from the heart to the brain in people with heart disease, especially if there is an irregular heart beat. Depending on the region of the brain affected, a stroke can cause paralysis, speech impairment, loss of memory and reasoning ability and death. Stroke is the third-leading killer in the United States and the leading cause of disability among older adults.

“While stroke can be devastating, the good news is that stroke can be preventable through medical treatment and a heart-healthy lifestyle,” said Richard Libman, MD, a specially trained stroke neurologist and chief of vascular neurology at LIJ Medical Center.

The clinic can help patients with stroke risk factors, including diabetes, high cholesterol and blood pressure, increasing age, smoking, obesity and previous heart attack. “Often, risk for stroke goes undiscovered until a symptom is detected during a routine medical exam,” said Dr. Libman. “One of the advantages for patients being seen in the prevention clinic is that if I detect serious symptoms I can initiate treatment and follow-up, if necessary.”

LIJ also offers carotid endarterectomy, a surgery to unblock the arteries, as well as carotid stenting, a less invasive way to open up narrowed arteries in patients with narrowing of a carotid artery but no symptoms. Before recommending any kind of intervention, Dr. Libman and his team review the patients’ other risk factors, the degree of carotid narrowing they have and their risk for complications from the procedure.

Many patients with risk factors for stroke will benefit from the clinic’s one-on-one counseling and education. For example, some people need help to quit smoking or lose weight, while others may need help in determining if they are taking the right medications.

With stroke, getting immediate attention can mean the difference between life and death. LIJ and nine hospitals within the North Shore-LIJ Health System are designated stroke centers by the New York State Department of Health. These hospitals have established protocols and treatment guidelines to ensure stroke patients receive the highest quality of care.

Call 911 immediately if you notice any of the following symptoms which may signal a stroke:

• Numbness or weakness of face, arm or leg, especially on one side of body
  
• Confusion or trouble speaking or understanding speech
  
• Trouble seeing in one or both eyes
• Trouble walking, dizziness or loss of balance or coordination
  
• Sudden, severe headache with no known cause

For an evaluation at LIJ’s Stroke Prevention Clinic, please call (718) 470-7260. The clinic accepts most insurance plans, Medicare/Medicaid and has an affordable fee schedule based on need.

Media Contact: Betty Olt, 516-465-2645, bolt@nshs.edu