Increased intima-media thickness is independently associated with ischemic stroke
Dário Freitas1, Ana Alves, Alexandre Pereira
1Escola Superior de Saúde Dr. Lopes Dias do Instituto Politécnico de Castelo Branco - Curso de Licenciatura em Cardiopneumologia. dfreitas12@gmail.com
Arquivos Brasileiros De Cardiologia
|May 16, 2012
Summary
Increased common carotid artery intima-media thickness independently predicts ischemic stroke risk, but not hemorrhagic stroke. This finding highlights its clinical utility in cardiovascular risk assessment, especially for individuals under 50.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Medicine
- Neurology
- Diagnostic Imaging
Background:
- Stroke remains a leading global cause of mortality.
- Increased intima-media thickness is a known cardiovascular risk factor, but its specific association with stroke subtypes is debated.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if elevated common carotid artery (CCA) intima-media thickness serves as an independent predictor for stroke occurrence.
- To differentiate the predictive value of CCA intima-media thickness for ischemic versus hemorrhagic stroke.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 948 patients underwent cervical triplex scans between 2004 and 2009.
- Patients were categorized into groups based on recent stroke: ischemic stroke (n=452), hemorrhagic stroke (n=22), and no stroke events (n=474).
Main Results:
- Adjusted logistic regression revealed increased CCA intima-media thickness as a significant, near-linear predictor of ischemic stroke (OR=1.808, p=0.01).
- No significant association was found between increased CCA intima-media thickness and hemorrhagic stroke (p=ns).
- A notable interaction with age was observed, with greater predictive capacity for ischemic stroke in individuals younger than 50 years.
Conclusions:
- Elevated CCA intima-media thickness is an independent risk factor for ischemic stroke, not hemorrhagic stroke.
- CCA intima-media thickness assessment is valuable in clinical practice for stratifying stroke risk, particularly in younger populations.
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