Prevalence of cerebral microbleeds and other cardiovascular risk factors in elderly patients with acute ischemic stroke

Abstract

Background: Cerebral microbleeds are small, round dark-signal foci in the T2 *-weighted magnetic resonance imaging. They are encountered in cerebral amyloid angiopathy and hypertensive vasculopathy. Their prevalence is common in ischemic stroke and cerebral hemorrhage. The purpose of this study is to investigate the prevalence of CMBs and associated risk factors in the elderly patients with acute ischemic stroke. Results: Cerebral microbleeds were significantly associated with the presence of hypertension (in the subgroup of recurrent stroke) and with hypercholesterolemia. There was a significant association between the number of the microbleeds and severity of white matter lesions as a higher number of microbleeds related to more severe white matter lesions. The microbleeds were more prevalent in the group of patients using antithrombotics. Conclusion: Age, hypercholesterolemia, and the use of antithrombotics emerged as the most important associated risk factors for the presence of CMBs. On MRI, there was a significant association between the number of CMBs and severity of white matter lesions as a higher number of CMBs related to more severe white matter lesions.

Evaluation of Cerebral Microbleeds in Patients with Acute Ischemic Stroke

“…There was also no statistically significant link between age and the presence or absence of cerebral microbleeds, according to Ibrahim et al 13 . High blood cholesterol and antithrombotic medication treatment, on the other hand, were found to be the most major risk factors for CMB formation in the same study.…”

“…Tang et al 12 found a 24 percent prevalence of CMBs in patients with ischemic stroke, while Ibrahim et al 13 found a 29.4% prevalence of CMBs in elderly Egyptians with acute ischemic stroke. Our findings, on the other hand, surpass those of Wang et al 14 , who discovered an ischemic stroke prevalence of 5,7%.…”

“…According to Ibrahim et al, CMBs are likewise more prevalent in the deep brain areas of hypertension patients 13 In a population-based observational investigation, Romero et al 16 observed that increased blood pressure was connected to deep/infratentorial CMBs.…”

Elevated Pulse Pressure Is a Risk Factor for Cerebral Microbleeds. A Single Center Case-Control Study

“…Correlations between pulse pressure and severity of CMBs Pulse pressure (PP) was then divided into three categories; low, normal and high, while CMBs were ranked in severity according to number of micro bleeds (severity) as described by Ibrahim et al [5], and the number of micro bleeds counted in each rank and the corresponding PP quartile, Table 4. Correlation among the CMBs ranks (CMBs severity) and the PP quartiles was then determined using Spearman's rank test, to ascertain whether severity of CMBs increased with increase in PP.…”

“…These lesions are clinically covert, yet they are radiological markers for small vessel diseases. CMBs occur in approximately 29.4% of the elderly patients [5], and are of increasing public health concern.…”