Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 18, 2025
Quantification of Mouse Heart Left Ventricular Function, Myocardial Strain, and Hemodynamic Forces by Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Published on: May 24, 2021
High-resolution MR vessel wall imaging and cardiovascular health for evaluating the occurrence of ischemic stroke
Wenqiao Zheng1, Hui Zhou2, Yan Li3
1Department of Radiology, The First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030001, PR China; Department of Medical Imaging, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030001, PR China.
Insights
High-resolution MR vessel wall imaging plaque characteristics combined with cardiovascular health metrics can identify individuals at high risk for ischemic stroke. This approach offers new insights for risk evaluation and stratification.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Cardiology
- Radiology
Background:
- Atherosclerotic stenosis in the middle cerebral artery (MCA) is a significant cause of ischemic stroke.
- Accurate risk stratification for patients with MCA stenosis is crucial for stroke prevention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the predictive value of high-resolution MR vessel wall imaging (HR-VWI) plaque characteristics and cardiovascular health (CVH) metrics for ischemic stroke risk in MCA atherosclerotic stenosis.
- To explore the combined utility of plaque features and CVH metrics in identifying high-risk individuals.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 209 patients with MCA atherosclerosis.
- HR-VWI was used to assess plaque characteristics such as stenosis degree, enhancement ratio, plaque burden, remodeling index, and intraplaque hemorrhage.
- Seven CVH metrics were collected, and their association with ischemic stroke was analyzed using univariate and multivariate methods.
Main Results:
- Independent predictors of ischemic stroke included degree of stenosis, plaque burden, intraplaque hemorrhage, physical activity, and diet.
- The combination of plaque characteristics, diet, and physical activity demonstrated the highest predictive performance (AUC = 0.828), with 86.30% sensitivity and 66.67% specificity.
Conclusions:
- Plaque characteristics identified through HR-VWI, when combined with CVH metrics, can effectively identify populations at high risk for ischemic stroke.
- This integrated approach provides valuable insights for improving risk evaluation and stratification strategies in patients with MCA atherosclerotic stenosis.
Objectives:
To explore the value of high-resolution MR vessel wall imaging (HR-VWI) based plaque characteristics combined with cardiovascular health (CVH) metrics in the risk evaluation of ischemic stroke attributed to middle cerebral artery (MCA) atherosclerotic stenosis.
Methods:
Retrospective analysis of 209 participants with middle cerebral atherosclerosis, 146 patients with high signal in the MCA area on DWI were included in the symptomatic group, and 63 patients were included in the asymptomatic group. The degree of stenosis, enhancement ratio, plaque burden, remodeling index, and intraplaque hemorrhage were measured and compared between groups. Seven CVH metrics and other clinical data were obtained. The association between these factors and ischemic stroke was investigated by univariate and multivariate analysis.
Results:
The degree of stenosis [OR, 1.036 (95 % CI, 1.014-1.058); P = 0.001], plaque burden [OR, 0.958 (95 % CI, 0.928-0.989); P = 0.009], intraplaque hemorrhage [OR, 3.530 (95 % CI, 1.233-10.110); P = 0.019], physical activity [OR, 4.321 (95 % CI, 1.526-12.231); P = 0.006], and diet [OR, 8.986 (95 % CI, 2.747-29.401); P < 0.001] were the independent characteristics associated with the occurrence of ischemic stroke. ROC curve showed that the combination of plaque characteristics, diet, and physical activity achieved the highest AUC of 0.828 (95 % CI 0.770-0.877; P < 0.001), with sensitivity and specificity being 86.30 % and 66.67 %, respectively.
Conclusion:
Plaque characteristics combined with CVH metrics may identify high-risk populations for ischemic stroke and offer novel insights into risk evaluation and stratification.
More Related Videos
06:29Cardiac Magnetic Resonance for the Evaluation of Suspected Cardiac Thrombus: Conventional and Emerging Techniques
Published on: June 11, 2019
12:00Non-invasive Parenchymal, Vascular and Metabolic High-frequency Ultrasound and Photoacoustic Rat Deep Brain Imaging
Published on: March 2, 2015
Related Concept Videos
01:24Magnetic Resonance Imaging
01:20Imaging Studies for Cardiovascular System II:Types of Echocardiography
Types of Echocardiography
Transthoracic Echocardiography (TTE)
TTE is the most common type of echocardiogram which involves placing a transducer on the patient's chest, emitting sound waves to create heart images. TTE is invaluable for evaluating the heart's size, structure, and motion, making it particularly useful for...
01:20Imaging Studies for Cardiovascular System III: X-Ray
Definition and Purpose
An X-ray, or radiograph, is a non-invasive method that uses ionizing radiation to take images of internal structures. It is mainly used in cardiac imaging to examine the heart, lungs, and major blood vessels, aiming to identify abnormalities in the heart's size, shape, and position, such as heart failure, congenital defects, and vascular...