Evaluation of Burden of Carotid Artery Disease In Ischemic Stroke Patients With And Without Hypertension

Objective: To evaluate the burden of carotid artery stenosis in ischemic stroke patients and its association with socio-demographic aspects of Hypertension. Place and Duration of Study: Tertiary Care Hospital, Rawalpindi Pakistan, from Jan to Jun 2020. Study Design: Cross-sectional study Methodology: A total of 226 acute ischemic stroke patients, confirmed on CT/MRI brain, were subjected to ultrasound Doppler to look for significant carotid artery stenosis. The association of Hypertension was evaluated with the presence of carotid artery stenosis in such patients. Results: Hypertension was recorded in 133(58.8 %) patients and clinically significant carotid artery stenosis was seen in 96(42.5%) patients. The presence of Hypertension and increasing age were significantly associated with carotid artery stenosis (p-value respectively). Conclusion: The frequency of clinically significant carotid artery stenosis in hypertensive stroke patients remains higher in Pakistan. Prolonged Hypertension in advanced age may be a contributory factor in developing stroke.