Health - Wellness
Luke Perry's Cause Of Death Explained
By ALEXA SOOTER
Actor Luke Perry starred in “Beverly Hills 90210,” “Riverdale,” and plenty of other shows and movies before his shocking death in 2019. As Yahoo reported at the time, Perry's cause of death was an “ischemic cerebrovascular accident,” and “there were no underlying causes listed as contributing to his death.”
Ischemic cerebrovascular accidents, also known as ischemic strokes, are the most common stroke, and they occur when blood clots form in the brain's arteries. Ischemic strokes have two subtypes: a thrombotic stroke, where the blood clot develops in the brain, and an embolic stroke, where the blood clot develops elsewhere and travels to the brain through the bloodstream.
Sickle cell disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, and a previous stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) are health factors that can put people at risk of a stroke. Lifestyle factors, such as smoking, excessive drinking, and obesity, can also affect a person's risk level.
Symptoms include slurred or sluggish speech and trouble understanding the speech of others, as well as general confusion, numbness or weakness in the face or extremities, vision issues, and severe headaches. Strokes can cause people to lose their balance, struggle to walk, suffer reduced coordination, or experience vertigo.
One of the methods doctors use to remove clots from the brain is administering a drug called a tissue plasminogen activator, or r-tPA, known more simply as alteplase. In some cases, the doctor will decide that a mechanical intervention is needed where the doctor will attach a stent retriever catheter to a long cable to remove the clot.