title: Factors predisposing to small lacunar versus large non-lacunar cerebral infarcts: is left ventricular mass involved?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To find some specific determinants of lacunar strokes (LS), this study compared LS and non-LS patients using the size and location of cerebral lesions as discriminant between the two groups.
  
  
  METHODS
  The main cardiovascular risk factors and some echocardiographic parameters were assessed in 225 ischemic stroke patients aged 75·1±11·4 (SD) years, including 101 patients with symptoms and lesions of lacunar type (deep hypodensities with diameter ≤ 1·5 cm) and 124 patients with non-lacunar lesions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  LS patients tended to be younger and had a higher prevalence of smokers than non-LS patients. In a subgroup undergoing echocardiogram, those with LS had a higher left ventricular mass index (LVMI) than non-LS patients (141·6±44·9 vs. 115·1±31·8 g/m(2), P = 0·005). The prevalence of hypertension, diabetes, and carotid stenoses > 50% was similar in the two groups. In multivariable analysis the ever-smoker status (OR = 1·9, P = 0·02), atrial fibrillation (inverse association, OR = 0·5, P = 0·03), LVMI ≥ 130 g/m(2) (OR = 6·6, P = 0·001), and age ≤ 72 years (OR = 5·9, P = 0·003) remained independently associated with LS.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The patients with lacunar cerebral lesions had a greater left ventricular mass than those with non-lacunar lesions, while blood pressure values did not differ. Lacunar lesions were also associated with smoking and a younger age.
authors.affiliation: University of Bologna and S. Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Muscari
authors.forename: Giovanni M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Puddu
authors.forename: Elisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fabbri
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Napoli
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vizioli
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zoli
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001795:Blood Pressure Determination / Q000379:methods; D016893:Carotid Stenosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D002537:Intracranial Arteriosclerosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D059409:Stroke, Lacunar / Q000453:epidemiology*