title: Correlation of coronary artery atherosclerosis with atherosclerosis of the intracranial cerebral artery and the extracranial carotid artery.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Investigating atherosclerosis of the coronary artery in ischemic stroke patients is clinically important because comorbidity is relatively common in such patients. We studied the relationship of atherosclerosis of the coronary artery to atherosclerosis of the intracranial cerebral artery and extracranial carotid artery. Further investigation was performed for determining the factors independently associated with coronary artery atherosclerosis in ischemic stroke patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  We consecutively recruited ischemic stroke patients who had no history of coronary artery disease, and they underwent vascular examination. Patient-based vascular assessment was performed with magnetic resonance angiography of the cerebral arteries and computed tomography coronary angiography. The factors independently associated with coronary artery stenosis (> or =50%) were obtained from the conventional vascular risk factors and cerebral arterial stenosis using the logistic regression model.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Coronary artery stenosis was observed in 25.4% of the patients and this was associated with age (OR: 1.16, 95% CI: 1.03-1.30) and the presence of stenosis of the extracranial carotid artery (OR: 11.37, 95% CI: 1.88-68.75) after logistic regression analysis. Intracranial arterial stenosis was not independently related to coronary stenosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Careful concern about coronary artery disease is needed when treating ischemic stroke patients who have atherosclerosis of the extracranial carotid artery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Korea University College of Medicine, Korea University Guro Hospital, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Woo-Keun
authors.initials: WK
authors.lastname: Seo
authors.forename: Hwan S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Yong
authors.forename: Seong-Beom
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Koh
authors.forename: Sang-il
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Suh
authors.forename: Ji H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Sung-Wook
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Ji-Yeon
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015897:Comorbidity; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006949:Hyperlipidemias / Q000453:epidemiology; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology; D002537:Intracranial Arteriosclerosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D020521:Stroke / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*