Prevalence of Peripheral Arterial Diseases in Patients with Large Artery Ischemic Stroke and its Prognostic Value

Shahin, Emad Fawzy; Elshesheeny, Ahmad Hassan; Taha, Ahmad Saeed; Bashar, Mohamed Ahmed Hussein

doi:https://doi.org/10.21608/aimj.2025.446487

Prevalence of Peripheral Arterial Diseases in Patients with Large Artery Ischemic Stroke and its Prognostic Value

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Professor of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt

² Assistant Professor of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt

³ Lecturer of Vascular Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt

⁴ Neurology Resident, Department of Neurology, MBBCh, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt

https://doi.org/10.21608/aimj.2025.446487

Abstract

Background: Patients who have had a stroke or TIA in the past are at a higher risk of having another vascular event because vascular illness in one artery territory is a powerful predictor of disease in other territories.
Aim and objectives: In order to learn how common peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is and how it affects the prognosis of individuals with big artery ischaemic stroke.
Subjects and methods: From October 2023 until the end of May 2024, 78 stroke patients with major artery atherosclerotic disease were enrolled in this prospective cohort study. The participants were recruited from Al-Azhar University Hospitals, specifically Al-Hussein and Bab-Elshearya University Hospitals.
Results: Diabetes mellitus(DM) and hypertension(HTN) were prevalent in both groups(overall, 74.4% and 76.9%, respectively), with no significant differences observed(p=1.00 and p=0.216, respectively). These findings are consistent with the understanding that both conditions are common comorbidities in populations at risk for vascular diseases, including PAD. The high prevalence rates in both groups suggest that these conditions are critical in the overall risk profile of the study population who presented with acute stroke, but may not differentiate PAD patients from non-PAD individuals in this context.
Conclusion: This study highlights the complex interplay of factors influencing PAD and its association with stroke outcomes. Smoking, ABI, and lower limb duplex findings emerged as significant differentiators for PAD, while NIHSS, lower limb duplex, and ABI were the strongest predictors of mortality. The results underscore the importance of comprehensive risk assessment and integrated management in improving outcomes for PAD patients.

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