Stiffness parameter β of cardioembolism measured by carotid ultrasound was lower than other stroke subtypes

Background: We estimated the stiffness parameter β (β value), which is useful in the assessment of premature atherosclerosis, among patients with different subtypes of cerebral infarction (CI; eg, small-vessel occlusion, large-artery atherosclerosis, cardioembolism, and other determined and undetermined etiologies) to determine the clinical utility of the β value in classification of stroke patients into CI subtypes.

Methods: Carotid ultrasonography (ALOKA ProSound SSD-alpha10) was performed in 31 CI patients and 38 control subjects, and the β value of the bilateral common carotid artery at 2.0 cm proximal to the bifurcation was measured using the echo-tracking method. The relationship between β value and age was examined, and the β value was compared among the different CI subtypes.

Results: Positive β value correlated with age in control subjects (R=.69, P<.001) but not in CI patients (R=-.01, P=.996). There was no significant difference in the β value when comparing control patients and patients with cardioembolic stroke (P=.106), but the β value were lower in patients with cardioembolic stroke than in patients with noncardioembolic stroke (eg, small-vessel occlusion, large-artery atherosclerosis, and others, P=.009).

Conclusions: The β value was lower in patients with cardioembolic stroke than in patients with noncardioembolic stroke. The β value may be useful for estimating the risk of different stroke subtypes.