Guidelines for Primary Stroke Prevention

  I. Assessment of first stroke risk The use of stroke risk assessment tools (e.g., AHA/ACC CV risk calculation tools) is reasonable; as these tools help identify patients who can benefit from therapeutic interventions and those who cannot be treated with a single risk factor. These calculation tools, can alert clinicians and patients of possible risks, but treatment decisions need to be made with the overall patient risk in mind.  II. Non-intervenable risk factors (age, sex, low birth weight, race, genetic factors) 1. Asking about family history can help identify patients at increased risk of stroke; (Class IIa recommendation; Level of Evidence A) 2. Genetic counseling may be considered recommended for stroke patients with rare genetic causes; (Class IIb recommendation; Level of Evidence C) 3. Fabry disease may be considered for enzyme 4. Non-invasive screening for unruptured intracranial aneurysms is reasonable in patients with more than 2 first-degree relatives with subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) or intracranial aneurysms (Class IIb recommendation; Level C). AKDPD with SAH or more than 1 relative with AKDPD with intracranial aneurysm should be considered for noninvasive screening for unruptured intracranial aneurysms; (Class IIb recommendation; Level C of the evidence) 6. 7. Pharmacologic dosing of vitamin K antagonists should be considered when initiating therapy; (Class IIb recommendation, Level of Evidence C) 8. Non-invasive screening for unruptured intracranial aneurysms is not recommended in patients with no more than 1 relative with SAH or intracranial aneurysms; (Class III recommendation, Level of Evidence C) 9. Non-invasive screening for unruptured intracranial aneurysms is not recommended for carriers of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease or Ehlers-Danlos type IV mutation; (Class III recommendation; Level of evidence, Level C) 10. risk; (Class III recommendation; Level of evidence Class C).