Do people with sickle cell anemia have higher chance of having a cerebrovascular accident (stroke)?

Yes.: Sickle cells can clog blood vessels causing small strokes (embolic); they can also damage blood vessel walls making them more susceptible to tearing and bleeding and leading to strokes (hemorrhagic). Keeping blood pressure and diabetes under control and keeping the percentage of sickle cells low can be helpful.

Yes: A combination of sickled cells blocking small blood vessels as well as causing damage to small blood vessels as they pass through these vessels in the brain is thought to explain the increased risk of cva in patients with scd. Damage to the interior of the blood vessels is thought to activate inflammation and the formation of clots in the area of damage.