VCU Health is part of the national conversation on brain aneurysms

By Leha Byrd

September is Brain Aneurysm Month and VCU Health will be part of the national conversation on the subject. A Twitter chat that will focus on the signs, risks and treatment options for brain aneurysms is scheduled for 1 p.m., Sept. 28. The conversation will be led by VCU Health Department of Neurosurgery physicians John Reavey-Cantwell, M.D., and Dennis Rivet, M.D.

A brain aneurysm is a weakness in a major blood vessel that causes a portion of the vessel wall to balloon. This pressure can cause the aneurysm to rupture and allow blood to escape into the space around the brain. Smoking, untreated hypertension and drug use are common risk factors for brain aneurysms, according to the Brain Aneurysm Foundation, and 66 percent of those who experience an aneurysm will have disabilities as a result.

Anyone who wants to join and track the conversation should follow the hashtag #VCUHealthChat and the Twitter handle @VCUHealth. Questions can be submitted in advance using this Twitter information.