scholarly journals The management of asymptomatic carotid stenosis: Is there a benefit to operate elderly patients?

2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohamed Nadjib Bouayed
Stroke ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 43 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rahul H Damani ◽  
Mahmoud Rayes ◽  
Pratik Bhattacharya ◽  
Seemant Chaturvedi

Objectives: Assess the hypothesis that patients with asymptomatic carotid stenosis older than 75 years are not on “best medical therapy” and their operative complication exceeds the AHA/ASA 3% threshold. Background: According to the Asymptomatic Carotid Atherosclerosis Study (ACAS), the Asymptomatic Carotid Surgery Trial (ACST) and recent AHA/ASA guidelines; benefits of carotid revascularization in asymptomatic patient >75 years would be offset if the operative complications rate exceed 3% and it would be more prudent to manage such patients on “best medical therapy”. How often these guidelines are being followed remains unclear. Methods: A retrospective chart review (2009-2011) at three urban, one suburban hospital within 30 miles was performed. Information of carotid revascularization (CEA & CAS) in asymptomatic elderly patients, in-hospital outcomes of stroke/death and/or MI and pre-procedural medications were evaluated. Statistical analysis with chi square testing was used. Results: A total of 114 patients met our inclusion criteria. Their features are described below.At four hospitals, the proportion of carotid revascularization done was 62% (114/185). More then quarter and one-third of patients undergoing carotid revascularization were not on statin and beta-blockers, respectively. Further, the rate of in hospital stroke was 4.4%. Conclusions: The majority of elderly patients with asymptomatic carotid stenosis patients are still undergoing carotid revascularization with operative complications that exceeded the AHA/ASA 3% threshold. More then quarter of patients in this subgroup are not on “best medical therapy”. These results reinforce the need for a new clinical trial comparing aggressive medical therapy alone vs. aggressive medical therapy and revascularization.


2013 ◽  
Vol 70 (11) ◽  
pp. 993-998 ◽  
Author(s):  
Djordje Milosevic ◽  
Janko Pasternak ◽  
Vladan Popovic ◽  
Dragan Nikolic ◽  
Pavle Milosevic ◽  
...  

Background/Aim. A certain percentage of patients with asymptomatic carotid stenosis have an unstable carotid plaque. For these patients it is possible to register by modern imaging methods the existence of lesions of the brain parenchyma - the silent brain infarction. These patients have a greater risk of ischemic stroke. The aim of this study was to analyze the connection between the morphology of atherosclerotic carotid plaque in patients with asymptomatic carotid stenosis and the manifestation of silent brain infarction, and to analyze the influence of risk factors for cardiovascular diseases on the occurrence of silent brain infarction and the morphology of carotid plaque. Methods. This retrospective study included patients who had been operated for high grade (> 70%) extracranial atherosclerotic carotid stenosis at the Clinic for Vascular and Transplantation Surgery of the Clinical Center of Vojvodina over a period of 5 years. The patients analyzed had no clinical manifestation of cerebrovascular insufficiency of the carotid artery territory up to the time of operation. The classification of carotid plaque morphology was carried out according to the Gray-Weale classification, after which all the types were subcategorized into two groups: stable and unstable. Brain lesions were verified using preoperative imaging of the brain parenchyma by magnetic resonance. We analyzed ipsilateral lesions of the size > or = 3 mm. Results. Out of a 201 patients 78% had stable plaque and 22% unstable one. Unstable plaque was prevalent in the male patients (male/female ratio = 24.8% : 17.8%), but without a statistically significant difference (p > 0.05). The risk factors (hypertension, nicotinism, hyperlipoproteinemia, and diabetes mellitus) showed no statistically significant impact on carotid plaque morphology and the occurrence of silent brain infarction. Silent brain infarction was detected in 30.8% of the patients. Unstable carotid plaque was found in a larger percentage of patients with silent brain infarction (36.4% : 29.3%) but without a significant statistical difference (p > 0.05). Conclusions. Even though silent brain infarction is more frequent in patients with unstable plaque of carotid bifurication, the difference is of no statistical significance. The effects of the number and type of risk factors bear no statistical significance on the incidence of morphological asymptomatic carotid plaque.


2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 2514183X2110016
Author(s):  
Mandy D Müller ◽  
Leo H Bonati

Background: Carotid artery stenosis is an important cause for stroke. Carotid endarterectomy (CEA) reduces the risk of stroke in patients with symptomatic carotid stenosis and to some extent in patients with asymptomatic carotid stenosis. More than 20 years ago, carotid artery stenting (CAS) emerged as an endovascular treatment alternative to CEA. Objective and Methods: This review summarises the available evidence from randomised clinical trials in patients with symptomatic as well as in patients with asymptomatic carotid stenosis. Results: CAS is associated with a higher risk of death or any stroke between randomisation and 30 days after treatment than CEA (odds ratio (OR) = 1.74, 95% CI 1.3 to 2.33, p < 0.0001). In a pre-defined subgroup analysis, the OR for stroke or death within 30 days after treatment was 1.11 (95% CI 0.74 to 1.64) in patients <70 years old and 2.23 (95% CI 1.61 to 3.08) in patients ≥70 years old, resulting in a significant interaction between patient age and treatment modality (interaction p = 0.007). The combination of death or any stroke up to 30 days after treatment or ipsilateral stroke during follow-up also favoured CEA (OR = 1.51, 95% CI 1.24 to 1.85, p < 0.0001). In asymptomatic patients, there is a non-significant increase in death or stroke occurring within 30 days of treatment with CAS compared to CEA (OR = 1.72, 95% CI 1.00 to 2.97, p = 0.05). The risk of peri-procedural death or stroke or ipsilateral stroke during follow-up did not differ significantly between treatments (OR = 1.27, 95% CI 0.87 to 1.84, p = 0.22). Discussion and Conclusion: In symptomatic patients, randomised evidence has consistently shown CAS to be associated with a higher risk of stroke or death within 30 days of treatment than CEA. This extra risk is mostly attributed to an increase in strokes occurring on the day of the procedure in patients ≥70 years. In asymptomatic patients, there may be a small increase in the risk of stroke or death within 30 days of treatment with CAS compared to CEA, but the currently available evidence is insufficient and further data from ongoing randomised trials are needed.


1994 ◽  
Vol 41 (6) ◽  
pp. 443-449 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard B. Libman ◽  
Ralph L. Sacco ◽  
Tianying Shi ◽  
James W. Correll ◽  
J.P. Mohr

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