Clinical and haemodynamic characteristics in 91 patients stratified by tertiles according to diameter difference of the VAs
| Diameter difference of VAs (mm) | p Value | |||
| Low 1/3 (range 0.04∼0.70) | Middle 1/3 (range 0.71∼1.17) | High 1/3 (range 1.19∼2.67) | ||
| No of cases | 30 | 30 | 31 | |
| Age (year) (mean (SD)) | 62.7 (13.0) | 62.5 (11.0) | 66.2 (10.4) | 0.390 |
| Risk factors (n (%)) | ||||
| Hypertension | 17 (56.7) | 21 (70.0) | 27 (87.1) | 0.031* |
| Diabetes mellitus | 11 (36.7) | 14 (46.7) | 10 (32.3) | 0.497 |
| Smoking | 10 (33.3) | 8 (26.7) | 12 (40.0) | 0.547 |
| Previous stroke | 8 (26.7) | 5 (16.7) | 5 (16.1) | 0.512 |
| Initial laboratory findings (mean (SD)) | ||||
| Haemoglobin (g/dl) | 14.3 (1.6) | 13.6 (1.5) | 14.4 (1.8) | 0.166 |
| Glucose (mg/dl) | 137.7 (48.0) | 171.0 (74.1) | 151.7 (67.1) | 0.138 |
| Total cholesterol (mg/dl) | 176.0 (36.4) | 171.8 (45.8) | 180.4 (41.7) | 0.984 |
| C reactive protein (mg/dl) | 0.36 (0.51) | 0.80 (2.18) | 0.69 (1.49) | 0.512 |
| Fibrinogen (mg/dl) | 314.3 (72.6) | 357.4 (88.3) | 324.9 (74.2) | 0.112 |
| Radiological findings | ||||
| M-to-S BA curvature (n (%)) | 10 (33.3) | 15 (50.0) | 23 (74.2) | 0.006* |
| M-to-S BA elongation (n (%)) | 4 (13.3) | 9 (30.0) | 5 (16.1) | 0.221 |
| Diameter of BA (mm) (mean (SD)) | 3.15 (0.58) | 3.16 (0.56) | 3.27 (0.55) | 0.660 |
| Diameter of R VA (mm) (mean (SD)) | 2.29 (0.38) | 1.98 (0.56) | 1.58 (0.86) | 0.001* |
| Diameter of L VA (mm) (mean (SD)) | 2.35 (0.60) | 2.52 (0.57) | 2.53 (0.97) | 0.589 |
| WSS (dyn/cm2) (mean (SD)) | ||||
| WSS in R VA | 7.1 (2.0) | 11.2 (7.7) | 14.0 (8.2) | 0.004* |
| WSS in L VA | 6.9 (2.8) | 9.1 (8.2) | 8.5 (4.4) | 0.407 |
| WSS in BA at 80 mm | 6.6 (4.0) | 8.3 (5.5) | 8.2 (4.0) | 0.429 |
| WSS in BA at 90 mm | 6.4 (5.1) | 8.5 (4.8) | 8.4 (3.8) | 0.308 |
| WSS in dominant VA | 6.6 (2.4) | 8.1 (5.3) | 6.9 (2.6) | 0.449 |
| WSS in non-dominant VA | 7.4 (2.5) | 12.3 (9.5) | 15.6 (7.5) | 0.001* |
BA, basilar artery; L, left; M-to-S, moderate to severe; R, right; VA, vertebral artery; WSS, wall shear stress.
*p<0.05.