Table 3.
Demographic and clinical characteristics of patients with posterior circulation infarction (n = 90) according to the presence or absence of NMC
| All patients (n = 90) | NMC (n = 18) | No NMC (n = 72) | P value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years) | 67.6 ± 14.7 | 72.0 ± 9.8 | 66.6 ± 15.9 | 0.16 |
| Men | 57 (63) | 10 (56) | 47 (65) | 0.58 |
| Previous main risk factors | ||||
| Hypertension | 63 (70) | 12 (67) | 51 (71) | 0.78 |
| Diabetes mellitus | 23 (26) | 7 (39) | 16 (22) | 0.22 |
| Dyslipidemia | 30 (33) | 7 (39) | 23 (32) | 0.59 |
| Active smoking | 18 (20) | 3 (17) | 15 (21) | 1.00 |
| CAD | 13 (14) | 1 (6) | 12 (17) | 0.45 |
| PAD | 12 (13) | 2 (11) | 10 (14) | 1.00 |
| Stroke | 23 (26) | 7 (39) | 16 (22) | 0.22 |
| BMI > 25 kg/m2 | 44 (49) | 8 (44) | 36 (50) | 0.79 |
| Alcohol consumption | 12 (13) | 2 (11) | 10 (14) | 1.00 |
| Chronic kidney disease | 26 (29) | 4 (22) | 22 (31) | 0.57 |
| Baseline NIHSS | ||||
| NIHSS score | 4.0 ± 6.3 | 10.9 ± 11.0 | 2.2 ± 2.4 | 0.004 |
| NIHSS score >2 | 40 (44) | 14 (78) | 26 (36) | 0.003 |
| Causes of ischemic stroke | ||||
| Large vessel atherosclerosis | 11 (12) | 7 (39) | 4 (6) | 0.001 |
| Cardioembolic | 24 (27) | 6 (33) | 18 (25) | 0.55 |
| Lacunar | 10 (11) | 2 (11) | 8 (11) | 1.00 |
| Undetermined | 34 (38) | 1 (6) | 33 (46) | 0.001 |
| Other | 7 (8) | 2 (11) | 5 (7) | 0.6 |
| Therapeutics before hospitalization | ||||
| Antihypertensive therapy | 60 (67) | 12 (67) | 46 (64) | 1.00 |
| Antiplatelet agents | 35 (39) | 6 (33) | 29 (40) | 0.79 |
| Anticoagulants | 4 (4) | 2 (11) | 2 (3) | 0.18 |
| Statins | 24 (27) | 3 (17) | 21 (29) | 0.38 |
Note: Results are presented either as the mean ± standard deviation (age and NIHSS score) or as n (%).
Abbreviations: CAD, coronary artery disease; PAD, peripheral artery disease; BMI, body mass index; NIHSS, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale; NMC, neurological and medical complications.