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Author Spotlight: Assessing Ischemic Stroke Damage Through Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion Model
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Coexistence of low ankle-brachial index and intra-cranial atherosclerosis?

Z Li1, J Liu

  • 1The Third Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, China - junyanliu2003@163.com.

International Angiology : a Journal of the International Union of Angiology
|October 9, 2014
PubMed

Insights

A low ankle-brachial index (ABI) is not linked to intracranial atherosclerosis in stroke patients. However, a low ABI is associated with older age, extracranial atherosclerosis, and diabetes, aiding in predicting extracranial atherosclerotic disease.

Area of Science:

  • Vascular Medicine
  • Neurology
  • Cardiology

Background:

  • The ankle-brachial index (ABI) is a key indicator for peripheral artery disease and a known risk factor for stroke.
  • The association between a low ABI (<0.9) and intracranial atherosclerosis remains debated.
  • This study investigates the relationship between low ABI and both intra- and extracranial atherosclerosis in stroke patients.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To analyze the association between low ankle-brachial index (ABI) and intra/extracranial atherosclerosis.
  • To identify risk factors associated with intracranial atherosclerosis (IAS) and extracranial atherosclerosis (EAS).
  • To determine the predictive value of low ABI for different types of cerebrovascular atherosclerosis.

Main Methods:

  • Patients were classified into large artery atherosclerosis (LAA), small artery disease (SAD), intracranial atherosclerosis (IAS), and extracranial atherosclerosis (EAS) groups based on TOAST criteria.
  • Ankle-brachial index (ABI) was measured for all participants.
  • Logistic regression analysis was employed to examine the association between low ABI and atherosclerotic disease, controlling for risk factors.

Main Results:

  • Peripheral artery disease prevalence was significantly higher in LAA patients (31.51%) compared to SAD patients (19.75%).
  • Abnormal ABI was more prevalent in EAS patients (47.17%) than IAS patients (22.31%).
  • Peripheral artery disease and smoking were independent risk factors for EAS, while hypertension and male sex were independent risk factors for IAS. Peripheral artery disease was not associated with IAS.

Conclusions:

  • A low ABI (<0.9) is not associated with intracranial atherosclerosis in stroke patients.
  • Low ABI is significantly associated with older age (>65 years), extracranial atherosclerosis, and diabetes mellitus.
  • A low ABI is a useful predictor of extracranial atherosclerosis (EAS) in ischemic stroke patients.
Abstract

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