What killed Yasmin Ahmad

Yasmin Ahmad (July 1, 1958 – July 25, 2009)

I’m sure we all missed our talented film director, writer and scriptwriter from Muar, Johor, Yasmin Ahmad, and mind you I’m just a fan and a nobody, I couldn’t comprehend those who have come in contact or are close to her.

She was beautiful inside and out, and as selfish as it may sound, we were expecting more of her brilliant work. Such a sad loss. After finally accepting her death, I began to wonder what killed Yasmin Ahmad. From the reports I’ve been reading hemorrhaging in the brain from a stroke was the final diagnosis.

Her younger brother Muzaffar Shah was previously quoted, “One of the vessels burst due to high blood pressure, causing the stroke. “

So what does all that medical jargon means …

Hemorrhaging

Hemorrhaging is the loss of blood from the circulatory system. Bleeding can occur internally, where blood leaks from blood vessels inside the body or externally, either through a natural opening such as the vagina, mouth, nose, or anus, or through a break in the skin. Hemorrhage can be anywhere in the body. A stroke is specifically a hemorrhage in the brain. (via Wiki)

What’s the difference between a hemorrhage and a stroke?

A stroke is when a blood vessel in the brain breaks open causing hemorrhaging (internal bleeding). OR if there is a blood clot in the brain, not allowing blood flow to make it to certain areas in the brain. If someone died from a hemorrhage, this is very vague. there are many different types of hemorrhages. So technically, a stroke can be a type of hemorrhage, just in the brain. (via Yahoo! Answer)

So what is a stroke

Strokes can be classified into two major categories: ischemic and hemorrhagic.

Ischemia is due to interruption of the blood supply, while hemorrhage is due to rupture of a blood vessel or an abnormal vascular structure. 80% of strokes are due to ischemia; the remainder are due to hemorrhage.

In an ischemic stroke, blood supply to part of the brain is decreased, leading to dysfunction of the brain tissue in that area. There are four reasons why this might happen: thrombosis (obstruction of a blood vessel by a blood clot forming locally), embolism (idem due to an embolus from elsewhere in the body), systemic hypoperfusion (general decrease in blood supply, e.g. in shock) and venous thrombosis. Stroke without an obvious explanation is termed “cryptogenic” (of unknown origin); this constitutes 30-40% of all ischemic strokes.

Intracranial hemorrhage is the accumulation of blood anywhere within the skull vault. A distinction is made between intra-axial hemorrhage (blood inside the brain) and extra-axial hemorrhage (blood inside the skull but outside the brain). Most of the hemorrhagic stroke syndromes have specific symptoms (e.g. headache, previous head injury). Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is bleeding directly into the brain tissue, forming a gradually enlarging hematoma (pooling of blood). (via Wiki)

So Yasmin died of Cranial Hemorrhage from a Stroke then?

A Cranial Hemorrhage is bleeding in the brain. This could be caused by a blow to the head or an aneurysm. An Aneuryism is a weakened spot in a blood vessel. A stroke is usually a blood clot that lodges in the brain cutting off the blood supply. (via Yahoo! Answer)

So who gets or doesn’t get a stroke? A profile of a likely person to succumb to such illness

Anyone can suffer from stroke. Although many risk factors for stroke are out of our control, several can be kept in line through proper nutrition and medical care. Risk factors for stroke include the following:

• Over age 55
• Male
• African American, Hispanic or Asian/Pacific Islander
• A family history of stroke
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Smoking cigarettes
• Diabetes
• Obesity and overweight
• Cardiovascular disease
• A previous stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA)
• High levels of homocysteine (an amino acid in blood)
• Birth control use or other hormone therapy
• Cocaine use
• Heavy use of alcohol

(via medicalnewstoday)

So what causes this stroke?

Damage to blood vessels can be caused by:

• high blood pressure (hypertension)
• heart problems
• arteries getting older
• high cholesterol levels in the blood.

(via aphasiahelp.org)

I don’t want to speculate, but if according to all the reports I’ve been reading from the media, Yasmin it seems has a history of high blood pressure and that was the cause of her stroke. If anyone with medical knowledge who can shed more info, I do welcome it.

Her younger brother Muzaffar Shah added, “A few years ago, she fainted due to her high blood pressure, but it was a very mild thing. She was placed under observation for one or two days and discharged,”

High blood pressure or hypertension it is then, that’s the cause of Yasmin’s demise. I wouldn’t have thought it could kill, but it can. Maybe there’s a lesson to be learn from this, one final lesson from our Storyteller, albeit at her expense. Keep your high blood pressure in-check people, and stay in the pink of health.

Yasmin Ahmad went to ‘sleep’ and never woke up. She passed away peacefully and is resting in peace now.