What is Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy?

 The "Triple Whammy" of CAA

  • No known cause, no cure and no treatment (except ensuring blood pressure is well controlled)
  • Amyloid plaqes that are present in the brain in dementia, instead build up in the blood vessels of the brain. This results in either the plaques blocking the brain (causing ischaemic strokes) or makes the blood vessels more fragile causing haemorrhagic strokes). This is the double whammy. There is so much research and improvements in treatment for ischaemic strokes including “clot busting” drugs, but these cannot be used for someone with CAA.
  • The triple whammy is that the person also has multiple “micro bleeds” which are generally asymptomatic, and often you won’t be aware of them unless you have an MRI scan.
  •  These microbleeds lead to a background of ongoing cognitive impairment which mimics progressive dementia.
  •        Finally, the other risk is that you don’t know when the next major stroke will be. You just know that it is a matter of when and not if. Will it be today, tomorrow, next week, next month, next year or in 10 years.

·     Planning your life with CAA  

It'It's hard to live your life with the progressive symptoms and not knowing when the next big whammy is coming. Very hard to plan things in your life and look forward to upcoming celebrations and other life events. Are you going to be able to walk your daughter down the aisle in 6 months time, can you plan that holiday. By the way don’t plan on going overseas on a holiday because you won’t be eligible for travel insurance.

·     Get used to people saying to you “ahh well, we could all have a stroke any time. No one knows what’s ahead.” True but annoyingly oblivious to the true situation. This is a when and not if situation which is vastly different.

·    Annual national stroke week promotions never talk about this sort of condition. Primarily about ischaemic strokes and the importance of getting to the hospital early so that those new and wonderful drugs can be used. Not for us.

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