Epidemiology of Intracranial and Extracranial Large Artery Stenosis in a Population-Based Study of Stroke in the Middle East

Hamidreza Saber, Amin Amiri, Amanda G. Thrift, Saverio Stranges, Reza Bavarsad Shahripour, Mohammad T. Farzadfard, Naghmeh Mokhber, Réza Behrouz, Mahmoud Reza Azarpazhooh

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

5 Scopus citations

Abstract

Background: Intracranial large-artery disease (LAD) is a predominant vascular lesion found in patients with stroke of Asian, African, and Hispanic origin, whereas extracranial LAD is more prevalent among Caucasians. These patterns are not well-established in the Middle East. We aimed to characterize the incidence, risk factors, and long-term outcome of LAD strokes in a Middle-Eastern population. Methods: The Mashhad Stroke Incidence Study is a community-based study that prospectively ascertained all cases of stroke among the 450,229 inhabitants of Mashhad, Iran between 2006 and 2007. Ischemic strokes were classified according to the TOAST criteria. Duplex-ultrasonography (98.6%), MR-angiography (8.3%), CT-angiography (11%), and digital-subtraction angiography (9.7%) were performed to identify involvements. Vessels were considered stenotic when the lumen was occluded by >50%. Results: We identified 72 cases (15.99 per 100,000) of incident LAD strokes (mean age 67.6 ± 11.7). Overall, 77% had extracranial LAD (58% male, mean age 69.8 ± 10.3; 50 [89%] carotid vs. 6 [11%] vertebral artery), and the remaining 23% (56% male, mean age 60.2 ± 13.4; 69% anterior-circulation stenosis) had intracranial LAD strokes. We were unable to detect differences in case-fatality between extracranial (1-year: 28.6%; 5-year: 59.8%) and intracranial diseases (1-year: 18.8%; 5-year: 36.8%; log-rank; p = 0.1). Conclusion: Extracranial carotid stenosis represents the majority of LAD strokes in this population. Thus, public health strategies may best be developed in such a way that they are targeted toward the risk factors that contribute to extracranial stenosis.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)188-192
Number of pages5
JournalNeuroepidemiology
Volume48
Issue number3-4
DOIs
StatePublished - Aug 1 2017

Keywords

  • Epidemiology
  • Intracranial stenosis
  • Ischemic stroke
  • Large artery disease

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Epidemiology
  • Clinical Neurology

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