These tools will no longer be maintained as of December 31, 2024. Archived website can be found here. PubMed4Hh GitHub repository can be found here. Contact NLM Customer Service if you have questions.


Pubmed for Handhelds

PUBMED FOR HANDHELDS

Search MEDLINE/PubMed

  • Title: [Not Available].
    Author: Stapf C, Hartmann A, Hofmeister C, Schumacher HC, Marx P, Mast H.
    Journal: Fortschr Neurol Psychiatr; 1999 Nov; 67(11):483-6. PubMed ID: 10598330.
    Abstract:
    BACKGROUND: We investigated the association of cigarette smoking with high-grade carotid artery stenosis in patients with ischemic stroke and transient ischemic attacks. METHODS: Prospectively collected data from 404 patients with focal brain ischemia were used for a cross-sectional study estimating the association between cigarette smoking and high-grade carotid artery stenosis (diagnosed by Doppler-ultrasound and defined as a luminal narrowing of > or = 70%). Cerebral ischemia patients with normal sonographic findings served as a comparison group. Multivariate logistic regression models were used for statistical tests to determine the association between smoking and high-grade carotid stenosis. Age, gender, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hypercholesterolemia and co-existing heart disease (myocardial infarction, angina, heart failure) were considered potential confounders. RESULTS: High-grade carotid stenoses were found in 25% (n = 101) of the patients; 39% (n = 156) were classified as smokers. Smoking (odds ratio 3.6, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.2 to 5.8), hypercholesterolemia (odds ratio 1.8; CI 1.1 to 2.8) and preexisting heart disease (odds ratio 1.7; CI 1.1 to 2.7) were significantly associated with carotid stenosis > or = 70%. The impact of smoking augmented with increasing degree of stenosis (odds ratio for stenoses > or = 80%: 4.3, CI 2.3 to 7.7), whereas the association with hypercholesterolemia, and co-existing heart disease decreased in strength for stenoses greater than 80%. Hypertension and diabetes mellitus were not found to be significantly with high-grade carotid artery stenoses. CONCLUSION: Smoking is an independent determinant of severe carotid artery stenosis in patients with focal cerebral ischemia.
    [Abstract] [Full Text] [Related] [New Search]