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(Stroke. 2005;36:1201.)
© 2005 American Heart Association, Inc.

Original Contributions

Silent Myocardial Ischemia in Patients With Symptomatic Intracranial Atherosclerosis

Associated Factors

Juan F. Arenillas, MD, PhD; Jaume Candell-Riera, MD, PhD; Guillermo Romero-Farina, MD, PhD; Carlos A. Molina, MD, PhD; Pilar Chacón, MD, PhD; Santiago Aguadé-Bruix, MD; Joan Montaner, MD, PhD; Gustavo de León, MD; Joan Castell-Conesa, MD, PhD José Álvarez-Sabín, MD, PhD

From the Neurovascular Unit, Department of Neurology (J.F.A., C.A.M., J.M., J.A.-S.), Nuclear Cardiology Department (J.C.-R., G.R.-F.S.A.-B.G.dL., J.C.-C.), and Lipid Research Unit, Department of Biochemistry (P.C.), Vall d’Hebron Universitary Hospital, Barcelona, Spain.

Correspondence to Dr Juan F. Arenillas Lara, Neurovascular Unit, Department of Neurology, Vall d’Hebron Universitary Hospital, Passeig Vall d’Hebron 119-129, 08035 Barcelona, Spain. E-mail juanfarenillas{at}terra.es

Background and Purpose— Optimization of coronary risk evaluation in stroke patients has been encouraged. The relationship between symptomatic intracranial atherosclerosis and occult coronary artery disease (CAD) has not been evaluated sufficiently. We aimed to investigate the prevalence of silent myocardial ischemia in patients with symptomatic intracranial atherosclerosis and to identify factors associated with its presence.

Methods— From 186 first-ever transient ischemic attack or ischemic stroke patients with intracranial stenoses, 65 fulfilled selection criteria, including angiographic confirmation of a symptomatic atherosclerotic stenosis and absence of known CAD. All patients underwent a maximal-stress myocardial perfusion single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). Lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)], C-reactive protein, and homocysteine (Hcy) levels were determined before SPECT.

Results— Stress-rest SPECT detected reversible myocardial perfusion defects in 34 (52%) patients. Vascular risk factors associated with a pathologic SPECT were hypercholesterolemia (P=0.045), presence of >2 risk factors (P=0.004) and high Lp(a) (P=0.023) and Hcy levels (P=0.018). Ninety percent of patients with high Lp(a) and Hcy levels had a positive SPECT. Existence of a stenosed intracranial internal carotid artery (ICA; odds ratio [OR], 7.22, 2.07 to 25.23; P=0.002) and location of the symptomatic stenosis in vertebrobasilar arteries (OR, 4.89, 1.19 to 20.12; P=0.027) were independently associated with silent myocardial ischemia after adjustment by age, sex, and risk factors.

Conclusions— More than 50% of the patients with symptomatic intracranial atherosclerosis and not overt CAD show myocardial perfusion defects on stress-rest SPECT. Stenosed intracranial ICA, symptomatic vertebrobasilar stenosis and presence of high Lp(a) and Hcy levels may characterize the patients at a higher risk for occult CAD.

Key Words: coronary artery disease • homocysteine • intracranial atherosclerosis • tomography, emission computed, single-photon