Prevalence of coronary atherosclerosis in patients with cerebral infarction

Abstract

Background and purpose: there is an overlap between stroke and coronary heart disease, but the exact prevalence of coronary artery disease in patients with nonfatal cerebral infarction is unclear, particularly when there is no known history of coronary heart disease.

Methods: we consecutively enrolled 405 patients presenting with acute cerebral infarction documented by neuroimaging who underwent carotid and femoral artery, thoracic, and abdominal aorta ultrasound examinations. Of the 342 patients with no known coronary heart disease, 315 underwent coronary angiography a median of 8 days (interquartile range, 6-11) after stroke onset.

Results: coronary plaques on angiography, regardless of stenosis severity, were present in 61.9% of patients (95% confidence interval [CI], 56.5-67.3) and coronary stenoses ≥ 50% were found in 25.7% (95% CI, 20.9-30.5). The overall prevalence of coronary plaque increased with the number of arterial territories (carotid or femoral arteries) involved, with an adjusted odds ratio of coronary artery disease of 1.25 (95% CI, 0.58-2.71) for presence of plaque in 1 territory, and 4.31 (95% CI, 1.92-9.68) for presence of plaque in both territories, compared with no plaque in either territory. The presence of plaque in both femoral and carotid arteries had an age- and sex-adjusted positive predictive value of 84% for presence of coronary plaque and a negative predictive value of 44%.

Conclusions: there is a high burden of silent coronary artery disease in patients with nonfatal cerebral infarction and no known coronary heart disease, even in the absence of systemic atherosclerosis. The prevalence is even higher in patients with evidence of carotid and/or femoral plaque.