title: Gender differences in risk factors for intracranial cerebral atherosclerosis among asymptomatic subjects.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Gender is known to be one of the factors linked to differences in cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. However, little information is available regarding gender differences in the risk factors for intracranial cerebral atherosclerosis (ICAS).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study investigated the risk factors for ICAS separately by gender in an asymptomatic population.
  
  
  METHODS
  We collected data from a consecutive series of 935 subjects who had no history of stroke and who had undergone transcranial Doppler ultrasonography (TCD). For each subject, their medical history was documented and tests for biochemical markers were performed. Multiple logistic regression analyses were separately conducted to assess the risk factors associated with ICAS by gender.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The risk factors for asymptomatic ICAS were determined for every 10-year increase in age (odds ratio [OR] = 1.74, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.23-2.46), diabetes mellitus (DM) (OR = 3.45, 95% CI = 1.49-7.95), smoking (OR = 2.09, 95% CI = 1.01-4.32), and hypercholesterolemia (OR = 3.31, 95% CI = 1.15-9.50) for male subjects; risk factors female subjects included hypertension (OR = 2.10, 95% CI = 1.40-3.15) and DM (OR = 2.45, 95% CI = 1.11-5.44). An additional stratified analysis indicated that there was no significant risk factor for male subjects aged <50 years, whereas hypertension (OR = 2.90, 95% CI = 1.57-5.37) was the significant risk factor for female subjects aged <50 years. For male subjects aged ≥50 years, DM (OR = 6.00, 95% CI = 1.87-19.20), hypercholesterolemia (OR = 4.72, 95% CI = 1.05-21.19), and every 10-year increase in age (OR = 4.33, 95% CI = 2.02-9.28) were significant risk factors for asymptomatic ICAS, whereas DM (OR = 2.93, 95% CI = 1.14-7.48) was significant for female subjects aged ≥50 years.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings suggest that the risk factors for asymptomatic ICAS differ between sexes, indicating a possible role of sex hormones in the development of ICAS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular and Neurologic Disease, College of Oriental Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Young-Suk
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jin-Woo
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: Woo-Sang
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: Seong-Uk
authors.initials: SU
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Jung-Mi
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Sung-Il
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Young-min
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Bu
authors.forename: Sang-Kwan
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Moon
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D002537:Intracranial Arteriosclerosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D017585:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Transcranial