Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 19, 2025
Author Spotlight: Assessing Ischemic Stroke Damage Through Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion Model
Published on: August 11, 2023
Associations Between Polyvascular Disease and Stroke Recurrence in Patients With Lacunar Stroke
Lin Ma1,2,3, Anxin Wang1,2,3, Yijun Zhang1,2,3
1Department of Neurology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
Insights
Polyvascular disease, defined as atherosclerosis in multiple vascular beds, did not increase the risk of stroke recurrence or major adverse cardiovascular events in patients with recent lacunar stroke within one year.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Cardiology
- Vascular Medicine
Background:
- Lacunar stroke is a common type of ischemic stroke.
- Polyvascular disease, characterized by atherosclerosis in multiple vascular beds, is prevalent in cardiovascular patients.
- The impact of polyvascular disease on outcomes in lacunar stroke patients is not well-established.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between polyvascular disease and clinical outcomes in patients diagnosed with recent lacunar stroke.
- To determine if the presence of coronary heart disease (CHD) or peripheral arterial disease (PAD) alongside lacunar stroke affects stroke recurrence or major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs).
Main Methods:
- Data from 3,165 patients with recent lacunar stroke were analyzed from The Third China National Stroke Registry.
- Polyvascular disease was defined as atherosclerosis in two or more vascular beds (CHD, PAD).
- Cox proportional multivariable hazards regression models were used to assess the association between polyvascular disease and outcomes (stroke recurrence, MACEs) at 1 year.
Main Results:
- Among the 3,165 patients, 11.8% had CHD and 5.3% had PAD.
- No statistically significant association was found between polyvascular disease (CHD, PAD, or both) and the risk of stroke recurrence.
- Similarly, polyvascular disease was not significantly associated with an increased risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) at 1 year.
Conclusions:
- Polyvascular disease does not appear to be an independent risk factor for stroke recurrence in patients with recent lacunar stroke.
- The presence of concomitant coronary heart disease or peripheral arterial disease does not significantly increase the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events in this patient population within one year.
Abstract:
Background and purpose: This study aimed to examine the association of polyvascular disease and clinical outcomes in patients with lacunar stroke. Methods: Data of patients with recent lacunar stroke were collected from The Third China National Stroke Registry. Polyvascular disease is defined as the existence of atherosclerosis across two or more vascular beds. For the present study, polyvascular disease patients were grouped as follows: coronary heart disease (CHD) and lacunar stroke, peripheral arterial disease (PAD) and lacunar stroke, and CHD/PAD and lacunar stroke. The major clinical outcome was recurrence, and the secondary clinical outcome was major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs). A Cox proportional multivariable hazards regression model was applied to estimate the association between polyvascular disease and outcomes. Results: Among 3,165 patients with recent lacunar stroke, CHD was present in 375 (11.8%) and peripheral arterial disease in 168 (5.3%). The hazard ratio (HR) for stroke recurrence was 0.98 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.65-1.46; p = 0.91) for patients with CHD and lacunar stroke, 1.07 (95% CI, 0.61-1.87; p = 0.82) for patients with PAD and lacunar stroke, and 0.95 (95% CI, 0.66-1.35; p = 0.75) for patients with CHD/PAD and lacunar stroke compared with patients with isolated lacunar stroke. The HR for MACEs was 1.01 (95% CI, 0.69-1.49; p = 0.94) for patients with CHD and lacunar stroke, 1.11 (95% CI, 0.65-1.90; p = 0.71) for patients with PAD and lacunar stroke, and 0.99 (95% CI, 0.70-1.40; p = 0.95) for patients with CHD/PAD and lacunar stroke. Conclusion: Polyvascular disease is not associated with recurrence of stroke and MACEs in patients with recent lacunar stroke at 1 year.
Related Concept Videos
01:27Regulation of Stroke Volume
Preload refers to the degree of stretch on the heart before it contracts. It's analogous to the stretching of a rubber band; the more it's stretched, the more forcefully it snaps back. This concept is encapsulated in the Frank-Starling law of the...
01:21Peripheral Arterial Disease II: Clinical Manifestations and Diagnostic Evaluation