RESUMO
To obtain a clearer definition of the influence of cardiac disease on the development of cerebrovascular disease (CVD), we carried out a comparative study of two groups of patients, matched for age and sex, one with and one without CVD. These were compared with regard to the incidence of cardiac disease, hypertension and diabetes mellitus. On comparing the groups as a whole a significant preponderance of hypertension is shown in patients with CVD, but no significant difference in the frequency of cardiac disease. With regard to the site of the lesion in CVD there is a clear preponderance of cardiac arrhythmias when the territory of the carotid artery is affected. This seems to favour an embolic, rather than a haemodynamic mechanism in the aetiology of cardiogenic CVD. Hence, it follows for therapeutic purposes that in the case of arrhythmias, prophylaxis with aggregation-inhibiting drugs to prevent recurrence of embolism and adequate treatment of hypertension are useful measures, whereas administration of digitalis should be determined only by the presence of cardiac insufficiency.
