Cerebrovascular disease is any disorder that affects the disease in the blood vessels that feed oxygen-rich blood to the face and brain. Most often, this term is used to describe “hardening” (atherosclerosis) of the carotid arteries, which supply the brain with blood.

This form of cerebrovascular disease is similar to coronary artery disease, which occurs in the blood vessels that supply the heart with oxygen-rich blood. It is also referred to as ischemic disease, or a disease that causes a lack of blood flow. Because it occurs in blood vessels outside the heart, this condition is also considered to be a type of peripheral artery disease.

Ischemic cerebrovascular disease is particularly dangerous because it often has no symptoms. Yet it can cause stroke, either when the plaque ruptures and pieces of plaque block a narrowed portion of the artery, or when the carotid artery becomes completely blocked by the buildup.

In contrast to ischemic cerebrovascular disease, in which the brain does not receive enough blood, hemorrhagic cerebrovascular disease is characterized by too much blood in the brain. This form of cerebrovascular disease occurs when a blood vessel in the brain ruptures. Depending on the nature of the bleeding, symptoms may take hours or days to become apparent, or they may begin abruptly and rapidly progress to coma.

Although it can be difficult to detect cerebrovascular disease, there are known risk factors that might alert a physician. Uncontrollable risk factors include gender, age, ethnicity and family history. Risk factors that can be controlled include smoking, lack of regular exercise, diet, obesity and uncontrolled diabetes. In addition, unhealthy cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, and emotional factors may increase the risk of cerebrovascular disease.

Diagnosis of cerebrovascular disease depends on the variety and severity of the condition. If the condition is only suspected and there are no acute symptoms, diagnosis typically begins with a medical history and physical examination. These may be followed by more complex testing such as duplex imaging, magnetic resonance angiogram (MRA) and/or an angiogram. Treatment may involve medications (e.g., antiplatelets), modification of risk factors and/or more invasive treatments or procedures.