Word: brained
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Dates: during 2000-2009
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...will perform a series of tests to determine what caused the seizure. One likely reason could be his heart; last October, Kennedy underwent surgery to clear blockages in his left carotid artery, one of two major blood vessels in the neck that shunt blood from the heart to the brain. Plaque buildup in these vessels, says Dr. Roger Blumenthal, director of preventive cardiology at Johns Hopkins Hospital - who has not treated the Senator - generally means that the heart vessels may contain considerable plaque as well. If pieces of these plaques break off and obstruct blood flow to the brain...
...cerebrovascular." That means that tests of the electrical activity of Kennedy's heart will be useful in isolating any potential abnormalities in his heart function, such as a slow heart rate or an irregular heartbeat, that could have contributed to the seizure. CAT scans and MRIs of the brain will also be needed to ensure that Kennedy's episode wasn't caused by a tumor or infection in the brain...
...Most strokes are caused by clots. But they can also occur if there is bleeding directly into the brain. This second kind of stroke, called a hemorrhagic stroke, is the most difficult kind to recover from. The risk of a hemorrhagic stroke increases a bit if you are put on blood thinners. This is apparently what happened to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, who was given blood thinners after he suffered an earlier minor stroke and is still in a coma. News reports have not indicated whether Sen. Kennedy is on medication to thin his blood...
...hand, living past the age of 60 also increases your chances of suffering a seizure that may or may not be related to a stroke. Seizures in older adults sometimes occur as a reaction to medication, to alcohol withdrawal or because of problems with the blood supply in the brain that hasn't yet risen to the level of a stroke...
...reaction was not due to partisan concern - as when South Dakota Senator Tim Johnson was hospitalized with bleeding in the brain, shortly after the Democrats won control of the Senate in 2006 and the party feared losing his seat and control of the Senate. If anything were to happen to Kennedy, his seat would remain securely in Democratic hands, since a temporary replacement would be appointed by Massachusetts' Democratic Governor Deval Patrick until the next elections. The alarm felt by Democrats had little to do with the Senate's balance of power, but rather from contemplating for the first time...