Vos A, et al. - Researchers determined if the association between medial calcification vs intimal calcification in the intracranial internal carotid artery (iICA) are different with regard to risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Findings revealed that there were differential associations of cardiovascular risk factors with the dominant localizations of calcifications. Overall, intimal and medial calcification were identified as distinct etiologies.

Methods

• Using established methodology, one of three observers evaluated unenhanced thin slice computed tomography (CT) scans from 1,132 patients from the Dutch acute stroke study cohort for dominant localization of calcification (medial or intimal).
• They performed logistic regression analysis to evaluate the links between known cardiovascular risk factors (age, gender, body mass index, pulse pressure, eGFR, smoking, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, previous vascular disease, and family history) and the dominant localization of calcifications.

Results

• The presence of dominant intimal calcification was reported in 30.9% and dominant medial calcification in 46.9% among the 1,132 patients (57% males, mean age 67.4 years [SD 13.8]).
• They found no calcification in 10.5%.
• They observed that age, pulse pressure and family history conferred risk for both types of calcification.
• Findings revealed that smoking (OR 2.09 [CI 1.27–3.44]) and hypertension (OR 2.09 [CI 1.29–3.40]) were multivariably adjusted risk factors for dominant intimal calcification only, and for dominant medial calcification, diabetes mellitus (OR 2.39 [CI 1.11–5.14]) and previous vascular disease (OR 2.20 [CI 1.30–3.75]).