Risk factors and prevention of lacunar infarcts in 60- to 64-year-olds

Abstract

In their study “Prevalence, incidence, and risk factors of lacunar infarcts in a community sample” ( Neurology ® 2009;73:266–272), Chen et al. studied the frequency of certain kinds of stroke, called lacunar stroke (also called infarction ). Using MRI scans of the brain, they found out how common lacunar infarctions were in a sample of healthy people living in Australia. In addition, the authors looked at how often new strokes occurred, and they studied whether the old strokes changed over time. Finally, they tried to see if there were any risk factors that lead to this kind of stroke. By figuring out how and why lacunes form, doctors can better understand how to look for them and how to prevent them from happening. The people in the study were 60 to 64 years old. They were recruited from the PATH Through Life study, a large, ongoing study that is following the health of people recruited at random from the Australian cities of Canberra and Queanbeyan. To find people for the study, Chen et al. sent letters to 4,832 individuals within the age range. About 2,500 people agreed to help with the study, and from this group, 1 in 5 was selected at random to participate. A total of 478 individuals (252 men and 226 women) took part in the study. Each person had an MRI scan and clinical examination when the study began (“wave 1”). Four years later, they had a second scan and were examined again (“wave 2”). By performing the same tests 4 years apart, the investigators could learn the changes that occurred over time. In both waves, the clinical examination included measuring blood pressure, taking blood samples, and collecting cells from the inside of the mouth to analyze DNA. Subjects were divided into 3 categories according to blood pressure: …