Distribution of cerebral atherosclerosis by geographic location, race, and sex

The cerebral arteries (common carotid, internal carotid, vertebral, middle cerebral, and basilar arteries) were examined from 1547 autopsied persons in five countries (Norway, Guatemala, United States, Jamaica, and Chile). Subgroups comparisons were made using a basal group of cases from which were excluded all persons with coronary heart disease, peripheral arterial disease, other atherosclerotic complication, hypertension, and diabetes. The prevalence and mean extent of atherosclerotic lesions increase in each succeeding age group. Lesions appear to develop later in life in the cerebral arteries than in the aorta and the cerebral arteries than in the aorta and the coronary arteries. Men have more raised atherosclerotic lesions than women. The mean extent of fatty streaks in the cartoid arteries does not differ among age groups from 35 to 69 years of age, nor does it differ among location-race groups. The mean extent of raised atherosclerotic lesions in the carotid arteries increases in each succeeding age group after 35 years of age, and differs among location-race groups.The pattern of development of atherosclerosis in the carotid arteries follows that of the aorta. Fatty streaks appear in the intracranial and vertebral arteries much later in life than they do in the carotid arteries.The mean extent of both fatty streaks and raised lesions increases in each succeeding age group after 35 years of age, and the average involvement of both types of lesions differs among location-race groups. The pattern of development of atherosclerosis in the vertebral and intracranial arteries follows that of the coronary arteries. When location-race groups are ranked by extent of cerebral atherosclerosis, they rank in approximately the same order as when they are ranked by aortic and coronary atherosclerosis. (AU)