Table 1. Baseline characteristics of the 58 patients.
| Variable | RIC group | Control group | p-value |
|---|---|---|---|
| No. of patients | 30 | 28 | - |
| Gender (male/female) | 18/12 | 17/11 | 0.956 |
| Age, years (mean±SD) | 83.5±2.3 | 84.2±1.6 | 0.187 |
| Education (junior middle school level of education and above) | 29 (96.7) | 28 (100.0) | 1.000 |
| Smoking | 2 (6.7) | 3 (10.7) | 0.936 |
| Diabetes | 13 (43.3) | 11 (39.2) | 0.754 |
| Hypertension | 20 (66.7) | 18 (64.3) | 0.849 |
| hyperlipidemia | 22 (73.3) | 20 (71.4) | 0.871 |
| Previous stroke | 16 (53.3) | 16 (57.1) | 0.771 |
| Previous TIA | 15 (50.0) | 15 (53.6) | 0.786 |
| Locations of stenosis | |||
| Right ICA | 6 (20.0) | 5 (17.9) | 0.835 |
| Left ICA | 4 (13.3) | 5 (17.9) | 0.910 |
| Right MCA | 5 (16.7) | 5 (17.9) | 1.000 |
| Left MCA | 5 (16.7) | 4 (14.3) | 1.000 |
| BA | 2 (6.7) | 2 (7.1) | 1.000 |
| Multifocal stenosis | 8 (26.6) | 7 (25.0) | 0.885 |
| Medical management | |||
| ACE inhibitors | 2 (6.7) | 3 (10.7) | 0.665 |
| ARBs | 3 (10.0) | 2 (7.1) | 1.000 |
| ARBs plus CCBs | 11 (36.7) | 10 (35.7) | 0.940 |
| CCBs | 4 (13.3) | 3 (10.7) | 1.000 |
| Antidiabetic oral therapy | 9 (30.0) | 8 (28.6) | 1.000 |
| Antidiabetic insulin therapy | 4 (13.3) | 3 (10.7) | 1.000 |
| Anticoagulation and statin therapy before enrollment | |||
| Aspirin | 11 (36.7) | 12 (42.9) | 0.630 |
| Clopidogrel | 1 (3.3) | 2 (7.1) | 0.951 |
| Aspirin plus clopidogrel | 0 | 0 | - |
| Statins | 2 (6.7) | 3 (10.7) | 0.936 |
| Headache (HIT-6) (median IQR) | 54 (36–58) | 54 (36–56) | 0.924 |
| Dizziness | 25(83.3) | 22 (78.6) | 0.644 |
| Sleeping disorder | 17 (56.7%) | 14 (50%) | 0.611 |
| Fazekas scores (mean±SD) | 3.37±1.03 | 2.93±1.09 | 0.112 |
| Scheltens scores (mean±SD) | 14.60±2.79 | 14.86±3.05 | 0.702 |
| Overall MMSE scores (mean±SD) | 24.27±4.65 | 23.82±5.74 | 0.925 |
| Cognition dysfunction evaluated by MMSE* | 13 (43.3%) | 12 (42.9%) | 0.971 |
| Overall MoCA scores (mean±SD) | 22.20±4.42 | 20.89±5.78 | 0.599 |
| Cognition dysfunction evaluated by MoCA** | 25 (83.3%) | 25 (89.3%) | 0.783 |
| NIHSS scores (mean±SD) | 11.3±2.3 | 11.1±2.6 | 0.757 |
| mRS scores (mean±SD) | 3.4±0.6 | 3.5±0.5 | 0.495 |
Values are given as n. (%) unless otherwise indicated. *Cognition dysfunction was defined as MMSE score<24 in patients with higher than or equal to junior middle school level of education and MMSE score<20 in patients with primary school level of education. **Cognition dysfunction was defined as MoCA<26. Abbreviation: TIA=transient ischemic attack; ICA=internal carotid artery; MCA=middle cerebral artery; BA=basilar artery.