EVALUATION OF RISK FACTORS IN STROKE POPULATION WITH OCCLUSIVE CAROTID DISEASE

Background: Stroke is the third leading cause of mortality and leading cause of disability in modern society. In order to recognize population under increased risk of cerebrovascular disease we evaluated different risk factors in stroke population. Patients and methods: We calculated Framingham Risk Index (FRI) in 78 stroke patients (16% of all hospitalized stroke patients ; mean age 71p ; ; 10 ; 48 men, mean age 68p ; ; 12 and 30 women, mean age 74p ; ; 10) with severe carotid stenosis (>75%) or occlusion hospitalized on Neurology Department with sex and age adjusted stroke population without atherosclerotic changes of the main head and neck arteries. Risk factors (sex, age, total blood plasma level of lipids, cholesterol, LDL, HDL, systolic and dyastolic blood pressure, diabetes and smoking) were evaluated. FRI was calculated and subjects were classified in 5 categories: very high, high, moderate, low and very low risk. Results: There were 80% patients with ischemic stroke (16% had occlusive carotid disease), 17% had intracerebral hemorrhage and 2, 8% had subarachnoidal hemorrhage. Patients with occlusive carotid disease were in the group with high (34% ; 16% men and 18% women) and very high risk (60% ; 34% men and 30% women), only few had moderate risk (6% ; 4% men and 2% women). Control subjects had very low (72% ; 37% men, 35% women) and low risk (23% ; 12% men and 11% women), only few had moderate risk (5% ; 1% men and 4% women). Conclusion: FRI can be used in screening of population under increased risk of occlusive carotid disease.