La ateromatosis aórtica aumenta el riesgo de ataque cerebrovascular isquémico / Aortic atheromatosis increases the risk of ischemic stroke

RESUMEN

Antecedentes el ataque cerebrovascular isquémico (ACVi) es causa de mortalidad y discapacidad importante en adultos, siendo la cardioembolia, sobre todo por fibrilación auricular (FA), una etiología importante. Se conocen otras etiologías, cardíacas y no cardíacas, que no siempre pueden definirse, refiriéndose como probables o posibles de cardioaortoembolia. El rol de alguna de ellas, como la ateromatosis aórtica (AA), continúa siendo discutido. Objetivo: analizar fuentes posibles de cardioaortoembolia en pacientes con ACVi reciente. Material y método: estudio caso-control. Se analizaron 100 sujetos con ACVi de menos de 30 días de evolución estudiados prospectivamente con ecocardiograma transesofágico (ETE), entre febrero de 2012 y marzo de 2014. Se apareó cada caso según edad, sexo, presencia de flutter/FA y ausencia de prótesis valvular cardíaca, con un control que se buscó retrospectiva y aleatoriamente entre sujetos con ETE estudiados entre 2010 y 2015 sin ACVi. Se compararon variables binarias mediante test de McNemar y las cuantitativas por test de t pareado; se realizó regresión logística múltiple para ACVi con variables clínicas y hallazgos de ETE y p < 0,1 en el análisis univariado. Se consideró significativo p < 0,05. Variables cuantitativas se expresan en media y desvío estándar (DE) y nominales en valor absoluto y porcentaje, índice de probabilidad (OR) en su valor e intervalo de confianza (IC) 95%. Resultados: se formaron finalmente 76 pares caso-control. Edad casos 64,3±1,4 y control 64,9±1,3 años (p=0,19); 39 mujeres (51,3%) y 15 sujetos (19,7%) con flutter/FA en cada grupo (p=1). No hubo diferencias significativas según factores de riesgo cardiovascular (FRCV) globales (p=0,06) ni alcoholismo (p=0,80); se encontraron diferencias significativas en la prevalencia de dislipemia (p=0,03) e hipertensión arterial (HTA) (p <0,05). Las indicaciones principales del ETE en los controles fueron previo a cardioversión eléctrica de FA, sospecha de endocarditis, y valoración de valvulopatía mitral. La ateromatosis aórtica proximal y compleja (AAPC) (p=0,002, OR 5,5, IC95% 1,9-15,9) y la AA en forma global (p=0,001, OR 4,1, IC95% 1,8-9,3), además de la dislipemia (p=0,02, OR 2,8 IC95% 1,2-6,4), se asociaron significativamente con la presencia de ACVi en el análisis multivariado. Conclusión: la AA aumenta significativamente las chances de ACVi y las quintuplica cuando es proximal y compleja. La dislipemia se asoció a ACVi.

ABSTRACT

Background: Ischemic stroke is an important cause of death and disability in adults; cardio-embolism especially due to atrial fibrillation is a major cause of cerebrovascular attack. Other cardiac and non-cardiac causes are known but it is not always possible to establish etiology. There are probable and possible sources of cardio-embolism. The causal role of some possible etiologies as aortic atheromatosis remains discussed. Objective: To analyze possible sources of cardio-aortoembolism in acute ischemic cerebrovascular attack patients. Method: Study Design: Case-control. 100 subjects with ischemic cerebrovascular attack and less than 30 days from diagnosis were prospectively studied with transesophageal echocardiography between February 2012 and March 2014. They were matched by age, sex and presence of flutter / atrial fibrillation and absence of cardiac valvar prosthesis. Each control was recruited randomly and looking back among subjects without history of cerebrovascular disease, with transesophageal echocardiography previously studied between 2010 and 2015. Binary variables were compared using the McNemar test and quantitative by paired test of t, multiple logistic regression was performed with ischemic stroke as outcome, taking in consideration clinical variables and echocardiographic findings. Quantitative variables are expressed as media and standard deviation and nominal as its percentage value, association value as odds ratio (OR), value and 95% confident interval (CI 95%) Results: 76 case-control pairs were finally included. Cases´ age 64.3 ± 1.4 years and controls´ 64.9 ± 1.3 (p=0.19). 39 women (51.3%) and 15 (19.7% subjects) with flutter / atrial fibrillation in each group (p=1). No significant differences were found about global cardiovascular risk factors (p=0.06) or alcoholism (p=0,80); significant differences in the prevalence of dyslipidemia and hypertension (p=0.03; 0.05) were found. Main reasons for transesophageal echocardiography in controls were for cardioversion of atrial fibrillation, suspected endocarditis and mitral valve rating. Proximal and complex aortic atheromatosis (p=0,002, OR 5,5, IC95% 1,9-15,9), and aortic atheromatosis in general (p=0,001, OR 4,1, IC95% 1,8-9,3) and dyslipidemia (p=0,02, OR 2,8 IC95% 1,2-6,4), were significantly associated with the presence of ischemic cerebrovascular attack in multivariate analysis. Conclusion: Aortic atheromatosis significantly increases the risk of ischemic stroke, five times when proximal and complex. Dyslipidemia is associated with ischemic cerebrovascular attack.