Three-Year Follow-Up of Risk Factors Correlated with New Atherothrombotic Brain Infarction in 708 Elderly Patients

Abstract

A prospective study correlated cigarette smoking, systolic or diastolic hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hypercholesterolemia, low serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, hypertriglyceridemia, and obesity with development of new atherothrombotic brain infarction in 192 elderly men and 516 elderly women. Mean follow-up was 36 ± 6 months (range 19-39). New atherothrombotic brain infarction occurred in 24 of 192 men (13%) and in 63 of 516 women (12%), difference not significant. Risk factors for atherothrombotic brain infarction in elderly men were cigarette smoking (p < 0.001), systolic or diastolic hypertension (p < 0.001), and diabetes mellitus (p < 0.005). Risk factors for atherothrombotic brain infarction in elderly women were systolic or diastolic hypertension (p < 0.001), diabetes mellitus (p < 0.001), and obesity (p < 0.005).