title: Stiffness parameter β of cardioembolism measured by carotid ultrasound was lower than other stroke subtypes.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We estimated the stiffness parameter β (β value), which is useful in the assessment of premature atherosclerosis, among patients with different subtypes of cerebral infarction (CI; eg, small-vessel occlusion, large-artery atherosclerosis, cardioembolism, and other determined and undetermined etiologies) to determine the clinical utility of the β value in classification of stroke patients into CI subtypes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Carotid ultrasonography (ALOKA ProSound SSD-alpha10) was performed in 31 CI patients and 38 control subjects, and the β value of the bilateral common carotid artery at 2.0 cm proximal to the bifurcation was measured using the echo-tracking method. The relationship between β value and age was examined, and the β value was compared among the different CI subtypes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Positive β value correlated with age in control subjects (R=.69, P<.001) but not in CI patients (R=-.01, P=.996). There was no significant difference in the β value when comparing control patients and patients with cardioembolic stroke (P=.106), but the β value were lower in patients with cardioembolic stroke than in patients with noncardioembolic stroke (eg, small-vessel occlusion, large-artery atherosclerosis, and others, P=.009).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The β value was lower in patients with cardioembolic stroke than in patients with noncardioembolic stroke. The β value may be useful for estimating the risk of different stroke subtypes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan. Electronic address: hmitsumura@jikei.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Hidetaka
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mitsumura
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Kenichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sakuta
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Keiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bono
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Mikihiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yamazaki
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Renpei
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sengoku
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kono
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Tsutomu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kamiyama
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Masahiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Furuhata
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Yasuyuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Iguchi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D020521:Stroke / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014463:Ultrasonography
keywords: Ultrasonography; arterial stiffness; atherosclerosis; stroke subtype