Segmental left ventricular wall motion abnormalities are associated with lacunar ischemic stroke

Objective The aim of this study was to determine whether segmental left ventricular wall motion abnormalities (SLVWMA) are a potential cause of ischemic stroke. Methods Demographics, cardiovascular risk factors and echocardiographic parameters of patients with ischemic stroke (with and without SLVWMA) were collected and compared with those of patients who had SLVWMA but without history of ischemic stroke. Results Two hundred and fifty nine patients with ischemic stroke were identified: 187 patients without SLVWMA, and 72 with SLVWMA. The cardiac group consisted of 79 patients. Compared with the stroke patients with SLVWMA, stroke patients without SLVWMA were slightly but significantly younger (59 versus 63 years of age). Furthermore, the number of risk factors in stroke patients without SLVWMA was significantly lower compared with stroke patients with SLVWMA (2.7 versus 3.7). There was no difference in age or gender between stroke patients with SLVWMA and the cardiac patients. However, the number of risk factors was significantly higher in the cardiac patients compared with stroke patients with SLVWMA (4.4 versus 3.7). The ejection fraction was normal in both groups of stroke patients but significantly lower in the cardiac patients (37%). Significantly more lacunar ischemic strokes were observed in stroke patients with SLVWMA than in those without SLVWMA (76% versus 68%). Conclusion Our data indicate that in ischemic stroke patients with multiple cardiovascular risk factors and SLVWMA a higher frequency of lacunar strokes can be found. The latter could be a marker of small-vessel disease and/or be a potential contributing factor, perhaps through a mechanism of cardiac microembolism, in the development of lacunar ischemic stroke. The mechanisms of the association between SLVWMA and lacunar ischemic stroke remain however unclear.