Relative definitions of ischaemic cerebrovascular disease
| Relative disease | Definition |
| Ischaemic cerebrovascular disease | It refers to degeneration, necrosis or transient functional loss of local brain tissue, including nerve cells, glial cells and connective fibres, due to vascular obstruction. It is a common clinical disease, predominantly affecting middle-aged and elderly individuals, with high rates of disability and mortality. |
| Ischaemic stroke | It refers to ischaemic necrosis or softening of local brain tissue caused by cerebral blood circulation disorder, resulting in ischaemia and hypoxia. |
| Transient ischaemic attack (TIA) | It refers to transient neurological dysfunction caused by focal ischaemia in the brain, spinal cord or retina without acute infarction. |
| Non-disabling ischaemic cerebrovascular events | It refers to ischaemic cerebrovascular diseases without residual neurological disability, which includes the following three categories: TIA, minor stroke (NIHSS score ≤3 or ≤5), and stroke with rapid resolution and no residual disability. Its clinical features often include mild symptoms at onset or rapid and complete resolution, without leaving any or only mild residual neurological deficits, which do not affect daily life and work. |
| Disabling ischaemic cerebrovascular events | It refers to ischaemic cerebrovascular events that result in significant residual disabilities after the onset. |
| Atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases | It refers to various clinical diseases with ischaemic or endothelial dysfunction–inflammatory changes caused by atherosclerosis, including acute coronary syndrome, myocardial infarction, stable or unstable angina pectoris, post-coronary revascularisation, atherosclerosis-related stroke or TIA, peripheral arterial disease or post-peripheral arterial reconstruction. |
NIHSS, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale.