Ischaemic stroke and peripheral artery disease

• Published in: Journal of the Pakistan Medical Association Vol. 67; no. 8; pp. 1138 - 1144
• Main Authors: Rahman, Attiya Sabeen, Akhtar, Syed Wasim, Jamal, Qaiser, Sultana, Nuzhat, Siddiqui, Muhammad Asadullah, Hassan, Ziaul
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Pakistan Knowledge Bylanes 31-08-2017
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Ankle Brachial Index; Atherosclerosis; Brain - diagnostic imaging; Brain Ischemia - diagnostic imaging; Brain Ischemia - epidemiology; Carotid Arteries - diagnostic imaging; Carotid Stenosis - diagnostic imaging; Carotid Stenosis - epidemiology; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; Humans; Ischemia; Male; Middle Aged; Pakistan - epidemiology; Peripheral Arterial Disease - epidemiology; Severity of Illness Index; Stroke - diagnostic imaging; Stroke - epidemiology; Tomography, X-Ray Computed; Ultrasonography, Doppler; Pakistan; Ischaemic stroke, Peripheral artery disease, Ankle brachial index, Carotid artery stenosis
• ISSN: 0030-9982

To determine the frequency of atherosclerosis by ankle brachial index in patients with an ischaemic stroke and to assess the association of carotid artery stenosis and ankle brachial index in ischaemic stroke.
This cross-sectional study was conducted at Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, Karachi, from July 2011 to May 2014, and comprised patients with ischaemic stroke. The patients were classified according to the Asian stroke criteria for classification of brain infarction. Primary outcome measures included carotid artery stenosis and ankle brachial index. The other independent variables were age, gender, body mass index and waist circumference. SPSS 20 was used for data analysis.
A total of 327 patients were enrolled. The overall mean age was 57.6±12.8 years. Besides, 168(51.3%) participants were males. Peripheral artery disease was found in 60(18.3%) patients. Mild carotid artery stenosis was found in 182(55.6%) patients, moderate in 140(42.8%), severe in 3(0.9%) and complete occlusion in 2(0.6%) patients. In patients having mild carotid artery stenosis, 32(17.5%) had peripheral artery disease, whereas in patients with moderate carotid artery stenosis, 25(17.8%) had peripheral artery disease.
Abnormally low ankle brachial index suggesting subclinical peripheral artery disease was 18%.