The general characteristics of the 284 patients included in the study
| Variable | |
|---|---|
| Values are n (%) unless specified. | |
| *Scandinavian stroke scale score on admission (range 0 to 58). | |
| †Information was missing in one case. | |
| ‡Information was missing in three cases. | |
| CCA-IMT, common carotid artery intima–media thickness; IHD, ischaemic heart disease. | |
| Age (mean (SD)) | 68.7 (12.7) |
| Sex (female) | 126 (44%) |
| Initial stroke severity* (mean (SD)) | 31.4 (15.7) |
| Pre-stroke disability (Rankin) | |
| None (scores 0–1) | 235 (83%) |
| Moderate (scores 2–3) | 41 (14%) |
| Severe (scores 4–5) | 8 (3%) |
| History of arterial hypertension | 206 (73%) |
| History of diabetes mellitus | 95 (33%) |
| History of atrial fibrillation | 72 (25%)† |
| History of IHD | 66 (23%) |
| History of hypercholesterolaemia | 134 (48%)‡ |
| Current smoking | 86 (30%)† |
| Side of hemispheric lesion (right) | 140 (49%) |
| Site/extend of lesion (large cortical/subcortical) | 91 (32%) |
| Carotid stenosis | |
| <40% | 217 (76%) |
| 40–70% | 46 (16%) |
| ⩾70% | 21 (7%) |
| CCA-IMT (mean (SD)) | 0.794 (0.155) |