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Quantitative Analysis and Characterization of Atherosclerotic Lesions in the Murine Aortic Sinus
06:43

Quantitative Analysis and Characterization of Atherosclerotic Lesions in the Murine Aortic Sinus

Published on: December 7, 2013

Predictors of aortic complicated lesions in stroke patients

Yuka Terasawa1, Kazumi Kimura, Yasuyuki Iguchi

  • 1Department of Stroke Medicine, Kawasaki Medical School, Okayama, Japan. bbytera@gmail.com

Hypertension Research : Official Journal of the Japanese Society of Hypertension
|May 2, 2009
PubMed

Insights

A new simple clinical scale effectively predicts aortic complicated lesions (ACLs), which are linked to stroke. The scale uses age, peripheral artery disease, and smoking to identify patients at risk for ACLs.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Medicine
  • Neurology
  • Diagnostic Imaging

Background:

  • Aortic complicated lesions (ACLs) are associated with cerebral infarction, posing a significant clinical challenge.
  • Current diagnostic methods for ACLs may be invasive or not readily available in all clinical settings.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop and validate a simple clinical scale (ACL scale) for predicting the presence of ACLs in stroke patients.
  • To identify key clinical predictors for ACLs.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective enrollment of stroke patients undergoing transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE).
  • Definition of ACLs: >4 mm wall thickness, ulceration, or mobile plaque in the aortic arch.
  • Assessment of carotid intima-media thickness (IMT), ankle-brachial index (ABI), and brachial-ankle pulse-wave velocity (baPWV).
  • Development of the ACL scale based on age >70, presence of peripheral artery disease (PAD), and smoking status.

Main Results:

  • 38% of the 165 enrolled patients had ACLs.
  • Patients with ACLs were older (73.0 vs. 63.1 years) and had a higher prevalence of PAD (18% vs. 4%).
  • Higher IMT and baPWV were observed in the ACL group.
  • The ACL scale demonstrated a strong correlation with ACL presence: 6% (score 0), 40% (score 1), 58% (score 2), and 100% (score 3).

Conclusions:

  • The developed ACL scale, incorporating age, PAD, and smoking, is a simple and effective tool for predicting the presence of aortic complicated lesions.
  • This scale can aid in identifying stroke patients who may benefit from further investigation for ACLs.

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