Doctors Treat Symptoms – Not Blood Vessel Condition Itself

Doctors recently found that over a 12 year period, patients who had arteriovenous malformation (AVM) and chose not to be treated for their condition were “less likely to have a stroke or die from related causes.”  The doctors looked at the long-term outcome of patients with the condition, “which is caused by abnormal connections between the arteries and veins in the brain.” Currently, the occurrence of AVM is about 1 in 2,000 people. At any time, the person is more susceptible for a stroke. The occurrence of someone with AVM having a stroke every year is around one in a hundred.

So why is this report important?  It is the first study to compare the benefits to the risks for the those with AVM, in the long term.

“Many patients feel that living with AVM is like living with a time bomb in your head that could explode at any time. Patients and their doctors face difficult choices when deciding whether or not to pursue treatment. We have found that, for most people whose AVM has not caused a bleed, the risks of exceed the risks of leaving it alone over 12 years,” says Professor Rustam Al-Shahi Salman, MRC Senior Clinical Fellow at the University of Edinburgh and a consultant neurologist, via Medical Xpress.

Good news though for those with AVM – doctors can surgically remove the tangle or block the blood vessels involved to reduce the risk of bleeding.  It is a complicated procedure but can be worth the risk for preventing any further brain or arterial damage.

For those interested in learning more about National Stroke Awareness Month in May, click here.

Photo Credit – Stanford School of Medicine/Neurosurgery

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