Predictors Of Carotid Artery Stenosis Research Articles

Carotid Artery Disease in Subjects with Type 2 Diabetes: Risk Factors and Biomarkers.

Carotid atherosclerosis (CA) and, especially, carotid artery stenosis (CAS), are associated with a high risk of cardiovascular events in subjects with type 2 diabetes (T2D). In this study, we aimed to identify risk factors and biomarkers of subclinical CA and CAS in T2D individuals. High-resolution ultrasonography of carotid arteries was performed in 389 patients. Ninety-five clinical parameters were evaluated, including diabetic complications and comorbidities; antihyperglycemic, hypolipidemic, and antihypertensive therapy; indices of glycemic control and glucose variability (GV); lipid panels; estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR); albuminuria; blood cell count; and coagulation. Additionally, serum levels of calponin-1, relaxin, L-citrulline, and matrix metalloproteinase-2 and -3 (MMP-2, -3) were measured by ELISA. In univariate analysis, older age, male sex, diabetes duration, GV, diabetic retinopathy, chronic kidney disease, coronary artery disease, peripheral artery disease, and MMP-3 were associated with subclinical CA. In addition to these factors, long-term arterial hypertension, high daily insulin doses, eGFR, and L-citrulline were associated with CAS. In multivariate logistic regression, age, male sex, BMI, GV, and eGFR predicted CA independently; male sex, BMI, diabetes duration, eGFR, and L-citrulline were predictors of CAS. These results can be used to develop screening and prevention programs for CA and CAS in T2D subjects.

Total plaque score helps to determine follow-up strategy for carotid artery stenosis progression in head and neck cancer patients after radiation therapy.

To identify predictors of carotid artery stenosis (CAS) progression in head and neck cancer (HNC) patients after radiation therapy (RT). We included 217 stroke-naïve HNC patients with mild carotid artery stenosis after RT in our hospital. These patients underwent annual carotid duplex ultrasound (CDU) studies to monitor CAS progression. CAS progression was defined as the presence of ≥50% stenosis of the internal/common carotid artery on follow-up CDU. We recorded total plaque score (TPS) and determined the cut-off TPS to predict CAS progression. We categorized patients into high (HP) and low plaque (LP) score groups based on their TPS at enrolment. We analyzed the cumulative events of CAS progression in the two groups. The TPS of the CDU study at enrolment was a significant predictor for CAS progression (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.69, p = 0.002). The cut-off TPS was 7 (area under the curve: 0.800), and a TPS ≥ 7 strongly predicted upcoming CAS progression (aOR = 41.106, p = 0.002). The HP group had a higher risk of CAS progression during follow-up (adjusted hazard ratio = 6.15; 95% confident interval: 2.29-16.53) in multivariable Cox analysis, and also a higher trend of upcoming ischemic stroke (HP vs. LP: 8.3% vs. 2.2%, p = 0.09). HNC patients with a TPS ≥ 7 in any CDU study after RT are susceptible to CAS progression and should receive close monitoring within the following 2 years.

Ultrasonography screening of carotid arteries in asymptomatic patients

Objective: to identify the most important predictors of carotid artery stenosis in ambulatory patients of Saratov and Saratov Oblast, using multivariate analysis, and to specify an ideal patient for ultrasonographic screening. Materials and methods. In 2014-2018, field consultations and ultrasonographic examinations were performed for asymptomatic patients with suspected carotid artery disease at outpatient clinics of Saratov and Saratov Oblast. Such patients were referred for screening by neurologists and general practitioners. The study encompassed 470 medical charts. The multivariate regression analysis was performed to identify independent predictors of carotid artery stenosis of 50 per cent or more. Results. Carotid artery stenosis of ≥30% was detected in 24.5% (i.e., 115 of 470) of study participants; of ≥50% in 10.2% (48 of 470) patients, and of ≥70% stenosis in 2.9% (14/470) of participants. The multivariate analysis revealed that the odds of finding stenosis of ≥50% in patients, selected by neurologists and general practitioners for ultrasonographic screening, were significantly higher in the presence of the following factors: age exceeding 72, male gender, acute cerebrovascular event in anamnesis > 6 months ago, atherosclerosis of leg arteries, and episodes of speech impairment. We developed the point scale for risk assessment. A point scale for risk assessment has been created. In the absence of prognostic factors, the absolute risk of detecting stenosis ≥50% was just 3%, with 1 point it was 16%, and with 4 points it amounted to >50%. Conclusion. Our analysis enabled us to specify the most significant predictors of carotid artery stenosis in patients observed at outpatient clinics of Saratov and Saratov Oblast, and to obtain a patient model helping to optimize optimize selection for ultrasonographic examination.

The relationship between dizziness and cervical artery stenosis.

Dizziness is a common complaint in neurology departments. We sought to identify the relationship between dizziness and cervical artery stenosis, as assessed using cervical computed tomographic angiography. From 1 January 2012 to 20 April 2014, we prospectively and continuously collected the demographic characteristics, clinical data, and chief complaints of all hospitalized patients aged between 20 and 80 years who underwent computed tomographic angiography at our medical center. Altogether, 5796 hospitalized patients were enrolled in this study. After propensity-score matching, a matched cohort of 1139 patients in a dizziness group and 1139 patients in a nondizziness group was created. The proportion of patients with vertebrobasilar artery stenosis was larger in the dizziness group than in the nondizziness group (13.3 vs. 7.6% in the matched cohort) and was especially larger among patients with stroke histories (19.4 vs. 11.2% in the matched cohort). In the logistic regression, dizziness did not significantly predict carotid artery stenosis (P>0.01). Age, male sex, and hypertension, diabetes, myocardial infarction, cerebral infarction, or demyelinating diseases were the predictors of carotid artery stenosis that remained after adjustment (P<0.01). Patients with dizziness faced nearly twice the risk for vertebrobasilar artery stenosis than did those without dizziness (P<0.01). The other independent predictors of vertebrobasilar artery stenosis were age, male sex, hypertension, coronary artery disease, cerebral infarction, and hemorrhage (P<0.01). Patients with dizziness faced nearly twice the risk for vertebrobasilar artery stenosis than did those without dizziness, whereas dizziness did not significantly predict carotid artery stenosis.

Age but not ABCD(2) score predicts any level of carotid stenosis in either symptomatic or asymptomatic side in transient ischaemic attack.

The ABCD(2) score is routinely used in assessment of transient ischaemic attack (TIA) to assess the risk of developing stroke. There remains uncertainty regarding whether the ABCD(2) score could be used to help predict extent of carotid artery stenosis (CAS). We aimed to (i) collate and analyse all available published literature on this topic and (ii) compare the data from our local population to the existing evidence base. We conducted a retrospective-observational study over a 6-month period using our East of England hospital-based TIA clinic data with a catchment population of ~750,000. We also searched the literature on studies reporting the association between ABCD(2) score and CAS. We included 341 patients in our observational study. The mean age in our cohort was 72.86 years (SD 10.91) with 52% male participants. ABCD(2) score was not significantly associated with CAS (p = 0.78). Only age > 60 years was significantly associated with ipsilateral (> 50%) and contralateral CAS (> 50% and > 70%) (p < 0.01) after controlling for other confounders. The systematic review identified four studies for inclusion and no significant association between ABCD(2) score and CAS was reported, confirming our findings. Our systematic review and observational study confirm that the ABCD(2) score does not predict CAS. However, our observational study has examined a larger number of possible predictors and demonstrates that age appears to be the single best predictor of CAS in patients presenting with a TIA. Selection of urgent carotid ultrasound scan thus should be based on individual patient's age and potential benefit of carotid intervention rather than ABCD(2) score.

Prevalence and predictors of carotid artery stenosis in patients with severe aortic stenosis undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation.

Our aim was to analyze the prevalence and predictors of Carotid artery stenosis (CAS) in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). CAS is associated with the risk of periprocedural stroke in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. However, little is known about the prevalence of and clinical significance of CAS in the setting of TAVI. Consecutive patients undergoing a carotid Doppler study the day before TAVI were followed prospectively. CAS was defined in accordance with current practice guidelines. Logistic regression models were used to identify independent correlates of CAS. The study included 171 patients (age 82 ± 6, male gender 47%). Carotid atherosclerosis (CA, defined as any carotid plaque) was present in 164 (96%) of patients, and CAS (peak systolic velocity [PSV] ≥ 125 cm/sec; ≥50% diameter stenosis) in 57 (33%) patients. Severe CAS (PSV ≥ 230 cm/sec; ≥70% stenosis, or near occlusion) was found in 15 (9%) patients. By multivariate analysis, smoking and a higher Euroscore independently predicted the presence of CAS. Patients in the present TAVI cohort had a significantly higher prevalence of both unilateral and bilateral CAS ≥ 50% than those in a previously reported cohort (n = 494 patients, age ≥ 70) undergoing clinically driven coronary angiography (33% vs. 20%, OR = 1.9, P = 0.001; and, 13% vs. 6%, OR = 2.3, P = 0.003, respectively). CAS was not independently associated with 30-day mortality or stroke rates. The prevalence of CAS in patients undergoing TAVI is high, exceeding that observed in patients undergoing catheterization for coronary indications. The impact of CAS on clinical outcomes following TAVI merits further research.

Predictors of carotid artery stenosis after radiotherapy for head and neck cancers

To study the prevalence of and risk factors associated with carotid artery stenosis (CAS) after radiotherapy (RT) for head and neck cancer. Prospective, cross-sectional study. Patients recruited from a hospital Radiation-Oncology department. From March 2002 to August 2006, 290 consecutive head and neck cancer patients were enrolled in this study. One hundred ninety-two of these patients had previously undergone RT (RT group) and 98 had no RT (control group). After detecting CAS by carotid duplex sonography, the severity of CAS was evaluated by a bilateral plaque scoring system. CAS score. There were no differences in age or gender between the two groups. The RT group had a significantly higher plaque score than the non-irradiated group (P < .05). Multiple regression analysis of the 290 head and neck cancer patients revealed that bilateral plaque score was significantly correlated with age, hyperlipidemia, and RT. Multiple regression analysis was performed in the RT group alone with patients 41-50 years old serving as the reference group. This analysis showed that in RT patients > 50 years old, age was inversely correlated with plaque score; however, in RT patients <or= 41 years old, age was positively correlated with plaque score. In head and neck cancer, the high post-treatment incidence of radiation-induced CAS indicates the importance of regular examination of the carotid duplex and early antiplatelet prophylaxis. Different age groups may require different irradiation strategies to prevent radiation-induced CAS.

Prevalence of and Risk Factors Associated with Carotid Artery Stenosis: The Tromsø Study

Background and Purpose: To assess prevalence, distribution, ultrasound characteristics and determinants of carotid artery stenosis in a large, population-based study of both women and men. Methods: A total of 6,727 persons aged 25–84 years were screened for extracranial stenosis with Duplex ultrasound of the right carotid artery. Risk factors were compared in 225 persons with stenosis and 5,514 persons without. Results: The prevalence of carotid stenosis was higher in men than in women, where 3.8% (95% CI, 3.2–4.6%) had carotid stenosis, compared to 2.7% (95% CI, 2.2–3.3%) in women (p = 0.001). The prevalence gradually increased by age in both genders. Cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, fibrinogen, systolic blood pressure levels and current smoking were independently associated with carotid artery stenosis in both women and men. The presence of carotid stenosis was significantly associated with a history of cerebrovascular disease, coronary heart disease and peripheral artery disease. For each 10% increase in the degree of carotid stenosis, the risk of having had a cerebrovascular event increased by 26%. Conclusions: The prevalence of carotid stenosis in the general population, as measured by ultrasound, is low. Age, male gender, smoking, total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol (inverse), fibrinogen and systolic blood pressure are all independent predictors of carotid artery stenosis.