Table 2.

Posterior circulation arteries compared with anterior circulation arteries

	Posterior circulation arteries		Basilar Artery	Vertebral arteries
	Model 0	Model 1	Model 1	Model 1
	Estimate ± SE	Estimate ± SE	Estimate ± SE	Estimate ± SE
Continuous variables
Arterial wall thickness (microns)	−22 ± 9*	−0.27 ± 9†	−27 ± 9†	15 ± 7*
Media thickness (microns)	−5 ± 3	−5 ± 3	−5 ± 3	−7 ± 3*
Arterial area encircled by the IEL (%)	1.2 ± 0.4†	1.0 ± 0.4*	1.7 ± 0.5†	0.1 ± 0.5
Lumen stenosis (%)	1.5 ± 0.6*	1.0 ± 0.6	−1.0 ± 0.8	2.5 ± 0.7†
Categorical variables
Elastin loss	0.7 ± 0.2†	0.6 ± 0.2†	0.8 ± 0.2†	0.8 ± 0.2†
Increased collagen deposition	−0.1 ± 0.2	−0.1 ± 0.2	−0.2 ± 0.2	−0.1 ± 0.2
Large artery amyloidosis	−0.1 ± 0.1	−0.1 ± 0.1	−0.1 ± 0.1	−0.1 ± 0.1
Concentric intima thickening	2.3 ± 0.2 †	2.4 ± 0.3†	2.6 ± 0.4 †	2.8 ± 0.3 †
IEL gaps	0.2 ± 0.2	0.1 ± 0.2	−0.3 ± 0.2	0.2 ± 0.2
Any calcification	0.7 ± 0.3*	0.6 ± 0.4	0.1 ± 0.4	1.3 ± 0.8
Vasa vasorum	0.7 ± 0.2	0.6 ± 0.2	−0.9 ± 0.5	2.2 ± 0.5†

Abbreviations: IEL, internal elastic lamina

Model 0: Adjusted for artery location (proximal versus distal), interadventitial diameter and type (anterior cerebral artery, internal carotid artery, middle cerebral artery, etc.).

Model 1: Model 0 plus age, sex, ethnicity, hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, smoking, country of origin.

^*P value < 0.05

^†P value < 0.005 (Bonferroni correction 0.05/11).