Objective To explore the association between cardiorespiratory fitness and total atherosclerotic burden of brain-and heart-arteries in patients with ischemic stroke.Methods This study retrospectively enrolled consecutive patients with ischemic stroke of the large-artery atherosclerosis or small-artery occlusion subtypes accompanied by cervicocephalic atherosclerosis,who were admitted to the Department of Neurology,Xuanwu Hospital,Capital Medical University,between May 2023 and December 2024.General and clinical data,including age(＜60years,≥60years),sex,admission blood pressure,body mass index,history of hypertension,diabetes mellitus,hyperlipidemia,ischemic stroke,symptomatic coronary artery disease,smoking,alcohol consumption,and medication use(including antiplatelet drugs,anticoagulants,lipid-lowering drugs,antidiabetic drugs,antihypertensive drugs,and β-blockers),characteristics of ischemic stroke(including the duration of onset,ischemic side[left,right,bilateral],and ischemic location[anterior circulation,posterior circulation,bilateral circulation])were collected from all patients enrolled.On the morning after admission,fasting venous blood samples were collected to measure the levels of triglycerides,total cholesterol,low-density lipoprotein cholesterol,high-density lipoprotein cholesterol,fasting blood glucose,glycated hemoglobin,homocysteine,fibrinogen,D-dimer,C-reactive protein,high-sensitivity C-reactive protein,N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide,creatine kinase-MB,cardiac troponin T,and myoglobin.Transthoracic echocardiography was performed within 7 days after admission to evaluate cardiac function.Left ventricular ejection fraction and cardiac output were recorded,and cardiac index were calculated.Upon admission,neurological impairment,disability,motor function,and balance ability were assessed using the National Institutes of Health stroke scale(NIHSS),modified Rankin scale(mRS),Fugl-Meyer assessment(FMA),and Berg balance scale,respectively.The Saltin-Grimby physical activity level scale was used to evaluate the intensity of habitual physical activity prior to stroke onset.Cardiopulmonary exercise testing was performed within 7 days after admission to assess cardiopulmonary fitness.During the test,peak oxygen uptake(VO2peak),percentage of predicted VO2peak(VO2peak%pred),and metabolic equivalent of task(MET)were recorded.Based on the minimum oxygen uptake required for independent living(15 ml/[kg·min]),VO2peak was classified into low VO2peak(＜15 ml/[kg·min])and high VO2peak(≥15 ml/[kg·min]).With VO2peak%pred＜0.60 as the cutoff,VO2peak%pred was divided into low VO2peak%pred(＜0.60)and high VO2peak%pred(≥0.60).MET were categorized into low MET(＜mean MET)and high MET(≥mean MET)according to the mean value of MET in this study population.Imaging data of cardio-cerebral arteries were obtained by simultaneous CT arteriography within 7 days after admission.Total atherosclerotic burden of brain-and heart-supplying arteries(TAB-BHAs)was used to quantitatively evaluate the overall degree of cardio-cerebral atherosclerosis.And patients were stratified into high TAB-BHAs(≥4 points)and low TAB-BHAs(＜4 points)groups.The differences in general and clinical characteristics,as well as cardiopulmonary fitness indices,were assessed among different groups of TAB-BHAs.Spearman' s correlation was used in the preliminary analysis of the relationship between cardiorespiratory fitness indicators and TAB-BHAs.Multivariate Logistic regression was conducted with VO2peak,low VO2peak%pred,and low METs as independent variables,and high TAB-BHAs as the dependent variable to assess the association between cardiopulmonary fitness and TAB-BHAs.Covariates were selected through regressions stratified by age≥60 years,male,the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator(LASSO),and the variables exhibit statistically significant differences between the low and high TAB-BHAs groups,respectively.Results A total of 104 patients with ischemic stroke were enrolled.Among all patients enrolled,60patients(with ages ranging from 30 to 72years and a mean age of[54±11]years)met the inclusion and exclusion criteria,and were ultimately included.Amid the 60 patients,52 were male and 8 were female.There were 20 patients(33.3%)with low VO2peak,28 patients(46.7%)with low VO2peak%pred,and 31 patients(51.7%)with low MET(MET＜5.0).45 patients were classified into the low TAB-BHAs group and 15 into the high TAB-BHAs group.(1)Compared with the low TAB-BHAs group,patients in the high TAB-BHAs group were significantly older and had a higher proportion of patients aged≥60 years,they also showed significantly higher fibrinogen levels and a history of antihypertensive drug use(all P＜0.05).No significant differences were observed in other general or clinical characteristics between the two groups(all P＞0.05).Regarding cardiopulmonary fitness parameters,patients in the high TAB-BHAs group had lower VO2peak and MET levels,and higher proportions of patients with low VO2peak,low VO2peak%pred,and low MET compared with those in the low TAB-BHAs group(all P＜0.05).(2)Based on the Spearman's correlation analysis,VO2peak(r=-0.298,P=0.021),VO2peak%pred(r=-0.305,P=0.018),MET(r=-0.303,P=0.018)all exhibited negative correlations between and TAB-BHAs.(3)LASSO regression was used to identify the most pertinent variables for high TAB-BHAs,including low VO2peak,low VO2peak%pred,and fibrinogen.Multivariate Logistic regression analysis was then performed with low VO2peak,low VO2peak%pred,and low MET as independent variables and high TAB-BHAs as the dependent variable.The results showed that after adjusting for age≥60 years,male,and fibrinogen,both low VO2peak(adjusted OR,4.420,95%CI 1.052-18.573,P=0.042)and low VO2peak%pred(adjusted OR,7.423,95%CI 1.411-39.046,P=0.018)were independently associated with high TAB-BHAs in ischemic stroke patients.After further adjusting for variables that differed among high and low TAB-BHAs groups(including age≥60 years,male,fibrinogen,and history of using antihypertensive drugs),multivariate Logistic regression showed that low VO2peak%pred remained independently associated with high TAB-BHAs in ischemic stroke patients(adjusted OR,6.347,95%CI 1.170-34.418,P=0.032).Conclusion Poor cardiopulmonary fitness might be associated with high degree of overall cardio-cerebral atherosclerosis,suggesting cardiorespiratory fitness as a potential correlated indicator that could provide clues for improving early screening of patients with heavy cardio-cerebral atherosclerotic burden and for exploring the underlying mechanisms.

Objective To explore the association between cardiorespiratory fitness and total atherosclerotic burden of brain-and heart-arteries in patients with ischemic stroke.Methods This study retrospectively enrolled consecutive patients with ischemic stroke of the large-artery atherosclerosis or small-artery occlusion subtypes accompanied by cervicocephalic atherosclerosis,who were admitted to the Department of Neurology,Xuanwu Hospital,Capital Medical University,between May 2023 and December 2024.General and clinical data,including age(＜60years,≥60years),sex,admission blood pressure,body mass index,history of hypertension,diabetes mellitus,hyperlipidemia,ischemic stroke,symptomatic coronary artery disease,smoking,alcohol consumption,and medication use(including antiplatelet drugs,anticoagulants,lipid-lowering drugs,antidiabetic drugs,antihypertensive drugs,and β-blockers),characteristics of ischemic stroke(including the duration of onset,ischemic side[left,right,bilateral],and ischemic location[anterior circulation,posterior circulation,bilateral circulation])were collected from all patients enrolled.On the morning after admission,fasting venous blood samples were collected to measure the levels of triglycerides,total cholesterol,low-density lipoprotein cholesterol,high-density lipoprotein cholesterol,fasting blood glucose,glycated hemoglobin,homocysteine,fibrinogen,D-dimer,C-reactive protein,high-sensitivity C-reactive protein,N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide,creatine kinase-MB,cardiac troponin T,and myoglobin.Transthoracic echocardiography was performed within 7 days after admission to evaluate cardiac function.Left ventricular ejection fraction and cardiac output were recorded,and cardiac index were calculated.Upon admission,neurological impairment,disability,motor function,and balance ability were assessed using the National Institutes of Health stroke scale(NIHSS),modified Rankin scale(mRS),Fugl-Meyer assessment(FMA),and Berg balance scale,respectively.The Saltin-Grimby physical activity level scale was used to evaluate the intensity of habitual physical activity prior to stroke onset.Cardiopulmonary exercise testing was performed within 7 days after admission to assess cardiopulmonary fitness.During the test,peak oxygen uptake(VO2peak),percentage of predicted VO2peak(VO2peak%pred),and metabolic equivalent of task(MET)were recorded.Based on the minimum oxygen uptake required for independent living(15 ml/[kg·min]),VO2peak was classified into low VO2peak(＜15 ml/[kg·min])and high VO2peak(≥15 ml/[kg·min]).With VO2peak%pred＜0.60 as the cutoff,VO2peak%pred was divided into low VO2peak%pred(＜0.60)and high VO2peak%pred(≥0.60).MET were categorized into low MET(＜mean MET)and high MET(≥mean MET)according to the mean value of MET in this study population.Imaging data of cardio-cerebral arteries were obtained by simultaneous CT arteriography within 7 days after admission.Total atherosclerotic burden of brain-and heart-supplying arteries(TAB-BHAs)was used to quantitatively evaluate the overall degree of cardio-cerebral atherosclerosis.And patients were stratified into high TAB-BHAs(≥4 points)and low TAB-BHAs(＜4 points)groups.The differences in general and clinical characteristics,as well as cardiopulmonary fitness indices,were assessed among different groups of TAB-BHAs.Spearman' s correlation was used in the preliminary analysis of the relationship between cardiorespiratory fitness indicators and TAB-BHAs.Multivariate Logistic regression was conducted with VO2peak,low VO2peak%pred,and low METs as independent variables,and high TAB-BHAs as the dependent variable to assess the association between cardiopulmonary fitness and TAB-BHAs.Covariates were selected through regressions stratified by age≥60 years,male,the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator(LASSO),and the variables exhibit statistically significant differences between the low and high TAB-BHAs groups,respectively.Results A total of 104 patients with ischemic stroke were enrolled.Among all patients enrolled,60patients(with ages ranging from 30 to 72years and a mean age of[54±11]years)met the inclusion and exclusion criteria,and were ultimately included.Amid the 60 patients,52 were male and 8 were female.There were 20 patients(33.3%)with low VO2peak,28 patients(46.7%)with low VO2peak%pred,and 31 patients(51.7%)with low MET(MET＜5.0).45 patients were classified into the low TAB-BHAs group and 15 into the high TAB-BHAs group.(1)Compared with the low TAB-BHAs group,patients in the high TAB-BHAs group were significantly older and had a higher proportion of patients aged≥60 years,they also showed significantly higher fibrinogen levels and a history of antihypertensive drug use(all P＜0.05).No significant differences were observed in other general or clinical characteristics between the two groups(all P＞0.05).Regarding cardiopulmonary fitness parameters,patients in the high TAB-BHAs group had lower VO2peak and MET levels,and higher proportions of patients with low VO2peak,low VO2peak%pred,and low MET compared with those in the low TAB-BHAs group(all P＜0.05).(2)Based on the Spearman's correlation analysis,VO2peak(r=-0.298,P=0.021),VO2peak%pred(r=-0.305,P=0.018),MET(r=-0.303,P=0.018)all exhibited negative correlations between and TAB-BHAs.(3)LASSO regression was used to identify the most pertinent variables for high TAB-BHAs,including low VO2peak,low VO2peak%pred,and fibrinogen.Multivariate Logistic regression analysis was then performed with low VO2peak,low VO2peak%pred,and low MET as independent variables and high TAB-BHAs as the dependent variable.The results showed that after adjusting for age≥60 years,male,and fibrinogen,both low VO2peak(adjusted OR,4.420,95%CI 1.052-18.573,P=0.042)and low VO2peak%pred(adjusted OR,7.423,95%CI 1.411-39.046,P=0.018)were independently associated with high TAB-BHAs in ischemic stroke patients.After further adjusting for variables that differed among high and low TAB-BHAs groups(including age≥60 years,male,fibrinogen,and history of using antihypertensive drugs),multivariate Logistic regression showed that low VO2peak%pred remained independently associated with high TAB-BHAs in ischemic stroke patients(adjusted OR,6.347,95%CI 1.170-34.418,P=0.032).Conclusion Poor cardiopulmonary fitness might be associated with high degree of overall cardio-cerebral atherosclerosis,suggesting cardiorespiratory fitness as a potential correlated indicator that could provide clues for improving early screening of patients with heavy cardio-cerebral atherosclerotic burden and for exploring the underlying mechanisms.

Objective To analyze the clinical characteristics, diagnosis and treatment of cerebral embolism from brachiocephalic artery thrombosis. Methods A case was reviewed with literature. Results Acute multiple cerebral infarctions were found in both right anterior and posterior circulation. Arterial floating thrombi with cyclic motion relating to cardiac cycles was found with transthoracic Doppler ultrasonography.Anticoagulation therapy played the major role in treatment. Conclusion Transthoracic Doppler ultrasonography is recommended in the suspicion of patients with typical clinical presentations in order to investigate the vascular conditions in the brachiocephllic trunk, and anticoagulation therapy should be initiated immediately after the thrombi have been detected.