Baseline characteristics between groups
| IAS | No IAS | p Value | IAC | No IAC | p Value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age, years | 72.6 (11.9) | 66.0 (14.3) | <0.0001 | 71.7 (11.2) | 57.7 (14.9) | <0.0001 |
| Male | 65 (62%) | 303 (55%) | 0.200 | 252 (57%) | 116 (54%) | 0.452 |
| Index stroke | ||||||
| Ischaemic | 82 (78%) | 409 (74%) | 0.462 | 340 (77%) | 151 (70%) | 0.068 |
| TIA | 23 (22%) | 142 (26%) | 101 (23%) | 64 (30%) | ||
| NIHSS, units | 5 (2–11) | 4 (2–9) | 0.141 | 4 (2–9) | 3 (1–8) | 0.013 |
| Onset until CTA, minutes | 155.4 (120.6) | 148.5 (118.0) | 0.655 | 148.7 (100.9) | 151.4 (148.3) | 0.115 |
| Medical history | ||||||
| Stroke | 27 (26%) | 91 (17%) | 0.026 | 95 (22%) | 23 (11%) | 0.001 |
| TIA | 12 (12%) | 39 (7.1%) | 0.159 | 39 (8.9%) | 12 (5.6%) | 0.163 |
| Ischaemic heart disease | 22 (21%) | 56 (10%) | 0.003 | 69 (16%) | 9 (4.2%) | <0.0001 |
| Congestive heart failure | 9 (8.7%) | 23 (4.2%) | 0.076 | 29 (6.6%) | 3 (1.4%) | 0.003 |
| Stroke risk factors | ||||||
| Hypertension | 85 (81%) | 312 (57%) | <0.0001 | 308 (70%) | 89 (42%) | <0.0001 |
| Diabetes | 11 (11%) | 46 (8.3%) | 0.453 | 47 (11%) | 10 (4.7%) | 0.011 |
| Hypercholesterolaemia | 79 (78%) | 333 (64%) | 0.008 | 294 (71%) | 118 (57%) | 0.001 |
| Atrial fibrillation | 20 (19%) | 136 (25%) | 0.260 | 118 (27%) | 38 (18%) | 0.011 |
| Smoking history | 52 (53%) | 263 (51%) | 0.743 | 222 (54%) | 93 (48%) | 0.033 |
| Alcohol misuse | 16 (17%) | 60 (12%) | 0.176 | 63 (15%) | 13 (6.4%) | 0.002 |
| Laboratory values | ||||||
| Cholesterol, mmol/L* | 5.2 (1.1) | 5.3 (1.1) | 0.364 | 5.31 (1.1) | 5.32 (1.1) | 0.901 |
| LDL, mmol/L* | 3.2 (1.0) | 3.3 (1.0) | 0.224 | 3.3 (1.0) | 3.3 (0.9) | 0.737 |
| HDL, mmol/L* | 1.3 (0.3) | 1.4 (0.5) | 0.812 | 1.4 (0.4) | 1.4 (0.5) | 0.787 |
| Triglycerides, mmol/L* | 1.5 (0.9) | 1.4 (0.8) | 0.838 | 1.4 (0.9) | 1.3 (0.7) | 0.516 |
| Glucose, mmol/L | 6.5 (1.8) | 6.4 (2.0) | 0.116 | 6.5 (1.9) | 6.2 (2.1) | 0.001 |
| eGFR, ml/min/1.73 m2 | 70.4 (20.4) | 77.8 (21.1) | 0.001 | 74.4 (21.6) | 81.2 (19.7) | <0.0001 |
| Radiological observations | ||||||
| Extracranial carotid stenosis | 20 (19%) | 48 (8.7%) | 0.003 | 60 (14%) | 8 (3.7%) | <0.0001 |
| Atherosclerotic carotid lesions | 80 (76%) | 251 (46%) | <0.0001 | 288 (65%) | 43 (20%) | <0.0001 |
| Atherosclerotic aorta lesions | 75 (71%) | 237 (43%) | <0.0001 | 275 (48%) | 37 (17%) | <0.0001 |
*Only patients not on prestroke statin treatment.
IAC, intracranial arterial calcifications; IAS, intracranial arterial stenosis; CTA, CT angiography; eGFR, estimated glomerular filtration rate; HDL, high-density lipoprotein; LDL, low-density lipoprotein; NIHSS; National Institute of Health Stroke Scale.