General characteristics in healthy controls, at-risk subjects and IS patients
| Healthy control subjects (n=56) | At-risk subjects (n=60) | IS patients (n=72) | |
| Age (year） | 66.36±11.19 | 68.64±10.14 | 69.54±13.69 |
| Gender (male/female） | 30/26 | 38/22 | 43/29 |
| Smoking (n, %） | 6 (10.71） | 7 (11.67） | 8 (11.11） |
| Hypertension (n, %） | -- | 37 (62.67） | 49 (68.06） |
| Diabetes (n, %） | -- | 11 (18.33） | 15 (20.83） |
| Alcohol consumption (n, %） | 3 (5.36） | 2 (6.06） | 4 (5.56） |
| SBP | 129.23±18.11 | 150.85±22.70* | 150.39±25.98* |
| DBP | 75.09±11.41 | 80.82±11.75 | 85.77±15.02* |
| CHOL (mmol/L) | 4.81±0.96 | 4.91±1.41 | 4.75±1.28 |
| TG (mmol/L) | 1.05±0.32 | 1.81±1.22* + | 1.30±1.00 |
| HDL (mmol/L) | 1.42±0.36 | 1.48±0.50 | 1.54±0.67 |
| LDL (mmol/L) | 2.94±1.01 | 3.25±1.67 | 2.74±0.99 |
| Hcy (mmol/L) | 9.28±2.55 | 11.83±4.25* | 11.51±4.68* |
| SUA (mmol/L) | 299.41±67.82 | 320.68±101.39 | 307.19±118.26 |
| Ultrasound parameters | |||
| IMT (mm） | 0.85±0.19 | 1.03±0.21* | 1.06±0.20* |
| Carotid atherosclerosis (n, %) | 2 (3.57） | 34 (56.67)* | 44 (61.11)* |
| Plaque (n, %） | 3 (5.00) | 37 (61.67)* | 42 (58.33)* |
| IS subgroups | |||
| LAA (n, %） | -- | -- | 30 (41.67） |
| CE (n, %） | -- | -- | 23 (31.94） |
| SAA (n, %） | -- | -- | 14 (19.44） |
| SUE (n, %） | -- | -- | 4 (5.56） |
| NIHSS <7 (n, %） | -- | -- | 40 (55.56） |
| NIHSS ≥7 (n, %） | -- | -- | 32 (44.44） |
*p<0.05, vs normal control; +p<0.05, vs IS patients.
CE, cardioembolism; CHOL, cholesterol; DBP, diastolic blood pressure; Hcy, homocysteine; HDL, high-density lipoprotein; IMT, intima—media thickness; IS, ischaemic stroke; LAA, large artery atherosclerosis; LDL, low density lipoprotein; SBP, systolic blood pressure; SUA, serum uric acid; SUE, stroke of undetermined cause; TG, triglyceride.