Risk factors and their impact on carotid intima-media thickness in young and middle-aged ischemic stroke patients and controls: the Norwegian Stroke in the Young Study

Annette Fromm, Øystein Ariansen Haaland, Halvor Naess, Lars Thomassen, Ulrike Waje-Andreassen, Annette Fromm, Øystein Ariansen Haaland, Halvor Naess, Lars Thomassen, Ulrike Waje-Andreassen

Abstract

Background: Vascular morbidity and mortality due to cardiovascular disease (CVD) are high after ischemic stroke at a young age. Data on carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) as marker of atherosclerosis are scarce for young stroke populations. In this prospective case-control study, we examined cIMT, the burden of vascular risk factors (RF) and their associations among young and middle-aged ischemic stroke patients and controls. We aimed to detect clinical and sub-clinical arterial disease.

Methods: This study was conducted in 150 patients aged 15-60 years and 84 controls free of CVD. We related RF to ultrasonographic B-mode cIMT-measurements obtained from 12 standardized multiangle measurements in the common carotid artery (CCA), carotid bifurcation (BIF) and internal carotid artery (ICA).

Results: RF burden was higher among patients than among controls (p < 0.001). In multivariate analyses of all 234 participants, increased cIMT was associated with age in each carotid segment. Incident stroke was associated with increased ICA-IMT. ICA-IMT increase was associated with a family history of CVD among patients aged 15-44 years, and with RF at mid-age. The overall cIMT difference between patients and controls was 12% for CCA, 17% for BIF and 29% for ICA. Further, increased CCA-IMT was associated with male sex and hypertension. Increased BIF-IMT was associated with dyslipidemia, coronary heart disease and smoking. Increased ICA-IMT was associated with dyslipidemia and stroke.

Conclusions: Ischemic stroke is associated with increased ICA-IMT, related to a family history of CVD among patients aged <45 years, and to increasing RF burden with increasing age. Preventive strategies and aggressive RF treatment are indicated to avoid future cardiovascular events.

Trial registration: NOR-SYS is registered in ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT01597453).

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Risk factor burden. Data referred in percent. P = patients; C = controls.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Segmental cIMT distribution in common carotid artery, carotid bifurcation and Internal carotid artery. Data referred in percent. A = Common carotid artery; B = Carotid bifurcation; C = Internal carotid artery; P = patients; C = controls.

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Source: PubMed

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