Ischemic stroke in patients with intermittent claudication: a clinical study of 142 cases

The clinical features, risk factors, neuroimaging findings, and outcome of acute ischemic stroke were assessed in patients with intermittent claudication. Data from 142 patients with ischemic stroke and intermittent claudication were collected from a prospective hospital-based stroke registry in which 2500 consecutive acute stroke patients attended over a 12-year period. Ischemic stroke in patients with intermittent claudication accounted for 7.7% of all ischemic strokes (n = 1840). Ischemic stroke with and without intermittent claudication showed a similar in-hospital mortality rate (16% vs 14%) and absence of functional limitation at hospital discharge (20.5% vs 18.5%). Ischemic stroke patients with intermittent claudication showed a significantly shorter length of stay than patients without symptomatic peripheral arterial disease (14.6 vs 18.8 days, p < 0.05). Ischemic heart disease, transient ischemic attack (TIA), renal dysfunction, and watershed infarct were significant independent predictors of isc...