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Asymptomatic carotid bruit as related to single risk factors. A flowmetric study
1Unità Operativa di Neurologia, Ospedale di Busto Arsizio, Italy.
Insights
Asymptomatic carotid bruit, a risk factor for stroke, is more common in patients with peripheral arteriopathy and hypertension. This study found higher rates of significant carotid artery stenosis in these individuals.
Area of Science:
- Vascular Surgery
- Neurology
- Cardiology
Background:
- Asymptomatic carotid bruit affects 4% of individuals over 40 and is a known risk factor for stroke and myocardial infarction.
- Cerebrovascular disease risk factors necessitate understanding asymptomatic arterial conditions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the prevalence of carotid artery stenosis in patients with cerebrovascular disease risk factors but no cerebral symptoms.
- To compare haemodynamic and non-haemodynamic carotid artery stenosis across different patient groups and healthy controls.
Main Methods:
- Clinical data collection and Doppler flowmeter analysis were performed on five patient groups with cerebrovascular disease risk factors.
- An age-matched group of healthy control subjects was included for comparison.
Main Results:
- Haemodynamic stenosis (over 50%) of the carotid artery was significantly more prevalent in patients with peripheral arteriopathy and arterial hypertension.
- Non-haemodynamic stenosis (under 50%) showed similar prevalence across patient groups and healthy controls.
Conclusions:
- Peripheral arteriopathy and arterial hypertension are associated with a higher prevalence of haemodynamic carotid artery stenosis.
- Findings contribute to understanding cerebrovascular obstructive disease in at-risk populations.
Abstract:
The prevalence of asymptomatic carotid bruit is 4 per cent in the general population aged over 40 years. According to most authors, it is an evident risk factor for stroke and myocardial infarction. In the present study the clinical data and Doppler flowmeter analysis of 5 groups of patients are reported. These patients had risk factors for cerebrovascular disease, without cerebral symptoms. An age matched group of healthy control subjects was also studied. The prevalence of haemodynamic stenosis (more than 50 per cent) of carotid artery is significantly higher among subjects with peripheral arteriopathy and arterial hypertension compared with other groups. On the other hand nonhaemodynamic stenosis (below 50 per cent) of carotid artery occurs to the same extent in patients and control groups. The possible implications of these findings on the knowledge of cerebrovascular obstructive disease are discussed.