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Question:
Have I had a stroke?
Everyone thinks I have [had] a stroke. They say my speech is slurred. A doctor said my aorta is enlarged. Will that cause a stroke? My father died [of] a major heart attack at 93 - could I have inherited his heart problems?
submitted Donna from Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada on 3/6/2012
Answer:
by Texas Heart Institute cardiologist, Maher M. Nasser, MD
Dear Donna, You will not inherit but good genes from your father who lived to be 93! Stroke occurs more in smokers, diabetics, those with high cholesterol or who are hypertensive, patients with irregular heartbeats, bad heart valves, blockage of the arteries of the neck and several other disorders. A neurologist should be able to tell you whether you had a stroke or not. Regards.
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Updated March 2012
