Can diabetis cause a stroke?

Some one I know was recently diagnosed to have suffered a stroke. After reviewing the X-rays the doctors concluded it was not in her brain. They have two theories. One is a diabetic stroke (my first question: can diabetis cause a stroke?) and the second theory is that a blood vessle in her neck is clogged (second question: is this possible?).

Just being a diabetic can greatly increase a persons chance of having a stroke. This is one of the reasons good blood sugar control is so important.
A carotid artery that has blockage can also be a cause of stroke.. Together, the two are are a very large risk factor, and yes, could have caused the stroke.

Hi- I can't answer your second question- but, for the first one- YES! My grandmother suffered a stroke that was diabetes related- it left her in a vegetative state till she passed away.

Hope your "someone" gets better soon!

yes it can cause heart / cerebral stroke. just a few days ago I read an article about this on this site
http://diabetes-complications.blogspot.c...

all strokes (except perhaps heat strokes) are in the brain. diabetes is a major contributing factor as is high blood pressure and smoking. Changes in the veins and arteries of diabetics is the reason they have more chances of getting strokes and heart attacks, not to mention peripheral artery disease, neuropathy, amputation of extremities, and retinopathy that leads to blindness. I am a nurse and I can tell you I had a hard time connecting the dots between the strokes an diabetes. I read and researched a lot before I came to understand how diabetes changed the lining of blood vessels. Just take it from one who has read extensively on this, it does. If you want more details, email me through Yahoo answers and i will give you the long version.
Even if the stroke is caused by a clot in a major artery to the brain, the symptoms are from the ischemia (lack of blood flow) to the brain. An x-ray could show calcified clots, they mainly show bones, dense tissue, an x-ray showing a change in blood flow has to use a radiopaque dye injected during x-ray of the brain. MRI's and some of these new alternative imaging options could also have been used. to block the blood vessels in the neck it would have to be a very large clot, but for none of it to break off and enter the brain, that's a little strange. Usually it is the smaller vessels in the brain, cardiac circulation, kidneys and eyes where clots get stuck. Probably whatever imaging technique that was used missed the clot. They can be very elusive, and there is a LOT of blood vessels to check in the brain. After all, the brain is one of the most blood-vessel-rich tissue in the body, because of its high energy needs. Also in the time between the occurrence of the stroke and the MRI there is a possibility the stroke either was re-absorbed or moved (though the area of ischemia should probably still look different.) The treatment would have been started immediately, and the medicines given try to help the body dissolve the clot. The imaging is a secondary concern after stabilizing the patient.