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Aortic arch plaque in stroke

Souvik Sen1

  • 1UNC Stroke Center, Department of Neurology, University of North Carolina, 7001 NC Neuroscience Hospital, CB# 7025, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7025, USA. SenS@neurology.unc.edu

Current Cardiology Reports
|December 19, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Severe aortic arch plaque significantly increases stroke risk. Current evidence suggests oral anticoagulation and statins may help prevent stroke, but further research is needed.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Medicine
  • Neurology
  • Vascular Surgery

Background:

  • Severe aortic arch plaque is a significant risk factor for stroke.
  • The relationship between aortic plaque and stroke presents diagnostic and therapeutic challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the association between aortic arch plaque and stroke.
  • To discuss diagnostic imaging modalities and therapeutic strategies for preventing stroke from aortic plaque.

Main Methods:

  • Review of current imaging modalities for aortic plaque evaluation.
  • Analysis of retrospective data on stroke prevention in patients with severe aortic plaque.
  • Discussion of risks associated with invasive vascular procedures and cardiovascular surgery.

Main Results:

  • Retrospective data suggest oral anticoagulation and statins may reduce stroke risk in patients with severe aortic plaque.
  • Iatrogenic embolization is a risk during invasive procedures.
  • Therapy to prevent emboli from aortic plaque is not yet established.

Conclusions:

  • Assessing aortic arch plaque is crucial for stroke risk stratification.
  • Specific prevention strategies, potentially including anticoagulation and statins, may mitigate stroke risk.
  • Careful consideration of risks versus benefits is needed for invasive procedures in these patients.

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