title: Are there predictive risk factors for complications after carotid artery stenting?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to identify predictive risk factors for complications during and after carotid artery stenting (CAS).
  
  
  METHODS
  A multivariate analysis was performed on the databases of 4 European high-volume centers regarding risk factor distribution between patients presenting with or without neurological complications 30 days after CAS. The cumulative 30-day neurological complication rate (death, major stroke, minor stroke and transient ischemic attack) was 2.8% in the total examined cohort of 3 179 consecutive CAS procedures. The following risk factors were taken into consideration for statistical analysis: age, symptomatic, male gender, nicotine abuse, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, polyvascular disease, diabetes, restenosis after carotid endarterectomy (CEA)/CAS, calcified internal carotid artery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Symptomatic (P=0.02) or hypercholesterolemic (P=0.02) patients are at significantly increased risk for neurological events 30 days after CAS. Asymptomatic women and men without hypercholesterolemia have the lowest risk on any 30-day neurological complications after CAS.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CAS is a safe technique in experienced hands. Preprocedural neurological complaints and hypercholesterolemia can be defined as predisposing factors for 30-day neurological complications after CAS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Vascular Surgery, AZ St-Blasius, Dendermonde, Belgium. marc.bosiers@telenet.be
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bosiers
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: De Donato
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Deloose
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Verbist
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Peeters
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Castriota
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cremonesi
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Setacci
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D019917:Blood Vessel Prosthesis Implantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016893:Carotid Stenosis / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D016208:Databases, Factual; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008499:Medical Records; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012737:Sex Factors; D015607:Stents; D020521:Stroke / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control