title: Ischemic stroke in patients with intermittent claudication: a clinical study of 142 cases.
abstract: 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 ischemic stroke in patients with intermittent claudication. Although cerebral infarction in patients with intermittent claudication showed a clinical profile suggestive of poor outcome, the prognosis was similar to that of ischemic stroke without intermittent claudication.
authors.affiliation: Acute Stroke Unit, Department of Neurology, Hospital del Sagrat Cor, Barcelona, Spain. aarboixd@meditex.es
authors.forename: Adrià
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Arboix
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tarruella
authors.forename: Lluis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: García-Eroles
authors.forename: Montserrat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Oliveres
authors.forename: Carles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Miquel
authors.forename: Miquel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Balcells
authors.forename: Cecilia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Targa
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007383:Intermittent Claudication / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012042:Registries; D012307:Risk Factors; D020521:Stroke / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*