AimsTo study if retinopathy increases the risk of stroke recurrence in stroke patients with type 2 diabetes. Also, to study if stroke patients with type 2 diabetes have an increased risk of stroke recurrence compared to non-diabetics and if stroke patients with type 2 diabetes, regardless of retinopathy, have a higher incidence of carotid stenosis. Also, to study if stroke patients with type 2 diabetes retinopathy have increased incidence of carotid stenosis.MethodsWe included 445 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and a matched control group of 445 patients without diabetes, who had all suffered their first stroke or TIA. Information on retinopathy, risk factors and stroke recurrence were obtained from registers and medical records.ResultsRetinopathy did not increase the risk of stroke recurrence in diabetes patients, HR 0.89 (0.51–1.53), p = 0.67. The risk of stroke recurrence was not increased in diabetics compared to non-diabetes. Diabetes patients had an increased prevalence of carotid stenosis compared to non-diabetics, 1.69 (1.15–2.48), p = 0.008. The prevalence of carotid stenosis in diabetics with retinopathy was not increased compared to diabetics without retinopathy.ConclusionRetinopathy is not a predictor of stroke recurrence or carotid stenosis in type 2 diabetes patients.

The present study on patients with symptomatic mild carotid artery stenosis, as determined by Doppler ultrasound, shows that there is still a substantial risk of recurrent stroke in this group.

BackgroundVascularization of atherosclerotic plaques has been linked to plaque vulnerability. The aim of this study was to test if the vascularization was increased in upstream regions of early atherosclerotic carotid plaques and also to test if the same pattern of vascularization was seen in complicated, symptomatic plaques.MethodsWe enrolled 45 subjects with early atherosclerotic lesions for contrast enhanced ultrasound and evaluated the percentage of plaque area in a longitudinal ultrasound section which contained contrast agent. Contrast-agent uptake was evaluated in both the upstream and downstream regions of the plaque. We also collected carotid endarterectomy specimens from 56 subjects and upstream and downstream regions were localized using magnetic resonance angiography and analyzed using histopathology and immunohistochemistry.ResultsVascularization was increased in the upstream regions of early carotid plaques compared with downstream regions (30% vs. 23%, p = 0.033). Vascularization was also increased in the upstream regions of advanced atherosclerotic lesions compared with downstream regions (4.6 vs. 1.4 vessels/mm2, p = 0.001) and was associated with intra-plaque hemorrhage and inflammation.ConclusionsVascularization is increased in the upstream regions of both early and advanced plaques and is in advanced lesions mainly driven by inflammation.