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Performing Permanent Distal Middle Cerebral with Common Carotid Artery Occlusion in Aged Rats to Study Cortical Ischemia with Sustained Disability
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Carotid artery stenosis as a cause of stroke

Matthew L Flaherty1, Brett Kissela, Jane C Khoury

  • 1Department of Neurology, University of Cincinnati Academic Health Center, Cincinnati, Ohio 45267-0525, USA. matthew.flaherty@uc.edu

Neuroepidemiology
|October 19, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Large-vessel atherosclerosis causes 16.6% of ischemic strokes. Extracranial internal carotid artery (ICA) stenosis is the most common type, contributing to 8.0% of strokes and an estimated 41,000 cases annually in the US.

Area of Science:

  • Neurology
  • Cerebrovascular Disease
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Large-vessel cerebrovascular disease accounts for approximately 15% of ischemic strokes.
  • Identifying specific types of large-vessel atherosclerosis is crucial for understanding stroke etiology.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the specific types of large-vessel atherosclerosis responsible for ischemic strokes in a population-based study.
  • To quantify the incidence rates of stroke subtypes attributed to large-vessel disease.

Main Methods:

  • A population-based study identified 2,204 ischemic strokes in the Greater Cincinnati area during 2005.
  • Ischemic stroke subtypes were assigned by study physicians.
  • Event rates were calculated and adjusted for age, race, and sex.

Main Results:

  • Large-vessel atherosclerosis accounted for 365 (16.6%) of all ischemic strokes.
  • Extracranial internal carotid artery (ICA) stenosis was associated with 8.0% of strokes.
  • Extracranial ICA occlusion and intracranial atherosclerosis each accounted for 3.5% of strokes.
  • The annual incidence rate for first-ever and recurrent stroke attributed to extracranial ICA was 13.4 per 100,000 persons.
  • An estimated 41,000 strokes annually in the US may be attributed to extracranial ICA stenosis.

Conclusions:

  • Large-vessel atherosclerosis is a significant cause of ischemic stroke.
  • Extracranial ICA stenosis is a more prevalent cause of stroke than extracranial ICA occlusion or intracranial atherosclerotic disease.
Abstract

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