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Published on: February 16, 2016
Segmental left ventricular wall motion abnormalities are associated with lacunar ischemic stroke
Dirk Deleu1, Saadat Kamran, Ayman A Hamad
1Department of Neurology, Hamad Medical Corporation, P.O. Box 3050, Doha, State of Qatar. doc_deleu@hotmail.com
Insights
Segmental left ventricular wall motion abnormalities (SLVWMA) are associated with a higher incidence of lacunar ischemic strokes, particularly in patients with multiple cardiovascular risk factors. The exact mechanisms linking SLVWMA to lacunar strokes remain unclear.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Neurology
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Ischemic stroke is a leading cause of disability and death.
- Segmental left ventricular wall motion abnormalities (SLVWMA) are a potential indicator of cardiac dysfunction.
- The relationship between SLVWMA and the occurrence of ischemic stroke, specifically lacunar strokes, requires further elucidation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the potential role of SLVWMA as a cause of ischemic stroke.
- To compare cardiovascular risk factors and echocardiographic parameters in ischemic stroke patients with and without SLVWMA.
- To analyze the association between SLVWMA and lacunar stroke subtypes.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 259 ischemic stroke patients and 79 cardiac patients.
- Comparison of demographic data, cardiovascular risk factors, and echocardiographic parameters.
- Stratification of stroke patients based on the presence or absence of SLVWMA.
Main Results:
- Ischemic stroke patients with SLVWMA had a higher number of cardiovascular risk factors (3.7) compared to those without SLVWMA (2.7).
- A significantly higher proportion of lacunar strokes (76%) was observed in patients with SLVWMA compared to those without (68%).
- Cardiac patients without a history of stroke but with SLVWMA exhibited a lower ejection fraction (37%) than stroke patients.
Conclusions:
- SLVWMA may be associated with a higher frequency of lacunar strokes in patients with multiple cardiovascular risk factors.
- Lacunar strokes might serve as a marker for small-vessel disease or contribute to stroke development via cardiac microembolism.
- The precise mechanisms underlying the association between SLVWMA and lacunar ischemic stroke warrant further investigation.
Objective:
The aim of this study was to determine whether segmental left ventricular wall motion abnormalities (SLVWMA) are a potential cause of ischemic stroke.
Methods:
Demographics, cardiovascular risk factors and echocardiographic parameters of patients with ischemic stroke (with and without SLVWMA) were collected and compared with those of patients who had SLVWMA but without history of ischemic stroke.
Results:
Two hundred and fifty nine patients with ischemic stroke were identified: 187 patients without SLVWMA, and 72 with SLVWMA. The cardiac group consisted of 79 patients. Compared with the stroke patients with SLVWMA, stroke patients without SLVWMA were slightly but significantly younger (59 versus 63 years of age). Furthermore, the number of risk factors in stroke patients without SLVWMA was significantly lower compared with stroke patients with SLVWMA (2.7 versus 3.7). There was no difference in age or gender between stroke patients with SLVWMA and the cardiac patients. However, the number of risk factors was significantly higher in the cardiac patients compared with stroke patients with SLVWMA (4.4 versus 3.7). The ejection fraction was normal in both groups of stroke patients but significantly lower in the cardiac patients (37%). Significantly more lacunar ischemic strokes were observed in stroke patients with SLVWMA than in those without SLVWMA (76% versus 68%).
Conclusion:
Our data indicate that in ischemic stroke patients with multiple cardiovascular risk factors and SLVWMA a higher frequency of lacunar strokes can be found. The latter could be a marker of small-vessel disease and/or be a potential contributing factor, perhaps through a mechanism of cardiac microembolism, in the development of lacunar ischemic stroke. The mechanisms of the association between SLVWMA and lacunar ischemic stroke remain however unclear.
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