Intracranial atherosclerotic stroke: specific focus on the metabolic syndrome and inflammation

Stroke is the second leading cause of mortality world-wide and is well suited for prevention because it has a high prevalence, high burden of economic cost, well-defined modifiable risk factors, and effective prevention measures. Atherosclerosis is one of the major mechanisms of ischemic stroke, but the apparent differences in risk factors for intra- and extracranial atherosclerosis are unclear and the mechanisms that underlie strokes in patients with intracranial atherosclerosis are not well known. Consequently, patients with intracranial stenosis receive the same treatment as those with carotid -atherosclerosis. Several novel substances have emerged recently as risk factors for atherosclerosis. Specifically, it has recently been suggested that both the metabolic syndrome, which refers to a constellation of metabolic risk factors that are linked to insulin resistance, and vascular inflammation are associated with increased risk of coronary heart disease and stroke. The results of the studies reviewed here suggest that these factors play a differential role in the development of atherosclerotic stroke between the intra- and extracranial arterial systems.