[Prevalence and risk factors of asymptomatic intracranial vascular stenosis in patients with essential hypertension].
OBJECTIVE
The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence and the distribution pattern of lesion site of intracranial vascular stenosis and to identify risk factors for the stenosis in patients with essential hypertension.


METHODS
A total of 231 consecutive inpatients with essential hypertension were included in this study. Patients with the history of cerebrovascular diseases and relevant neurological symptoms were excluded. Intracranial vascular stenosis (>50% diameter reduction) was detected using CT angiography (CTA).


RESULTS
Of 231 patients, 69 (29.87%) had intracranial artery stenosis. The most common stenosis site is middle cerebral artery (43.69%), followed by carotid siphon (20.39%). The stenosis in internal carotid arterial system (78.64%) was more common than in vertebrobasilar arterial system (21.56%, P < 0.05). The patients with intracranial vascular stenosis were older, had longer history of hypertension, higher levels of systolic blood pressure, higher plasma cholesterol, higher LDL-C. Lp (a), higher urinary microalbumin excretion, thicker ventricular septum, and lower levels of HDL-C than the patients without stenosis. Logistic analysis showed that systolic blood pressure (OR 1.650, 95% CI 1.134 - 2.400, P = 0.023), course of hypertension (OR 1.238, 95% CI 1.072 - 1.429, P = 0.006), LDL-C (OR 2.103, 95% CI 1.157 - 3.823, P = 0.014) and type 2 diabetes (OR 2.325, 95% CI 1.161 - 4.341, P = 0.011) were the independent risk factors of asymptomatic intracranial arterial stenosis.


CONCLUSIONS
Nearly 30% inpatients with essential hypertension had asymptomatic intracranial artery stenosis. The most common site of stenosis was middle cerebral artery. Hypertension, dyslipidemia and diabetes were risk factors for the development of intracranial arterial stenosis.
DU
Yue-ling
YL
Department of Hypertension, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China.
Chen
Shao-xing
SX
Hu
Ya-rong
YR
Lu
Xiao-hong
XH
Qian
Wen-qi
WQ
Chen
Ke-min
KM
Ding
Pei
P
Zhu
Ding-liang
DL
D000368:Aged; D002533:Cerebral Angiography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology*; D020765:Intracranial Arterial Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors