Atherothrombosis linked to heart attack and stroke

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

Patients who have arterial disease have a high risk of heart attack and stroke, say researchers.
Narrowing of the arteries - which includes atherosclerosis and peripheral arterial disease - puts the heart and brain at risk from blood clots which trigger heart attacks and strokes. Doctors in Paris now underline this link with a new study. They looked at 68,236 patients with arterial disease in 44 countries and followed them up for a year.

One in seven of the participants had either a heart attack or a stroke during this time. Those with established arterial disease were found to have a two to three times higher risk of one of these events than those who only had multiple risk factors such as high blood pressure. The risk of heart attack or stroke increased with the extent of the arterial disease. Therefore, the researchers say, it is important to do whatever is needed to prevent and treat arterial disease. The international nature of this study suggests that arterial disease is a global problem, so all doctors and patients must work to reduce the corresponding risk factors.

Source
Journal of the American Medical Association 21st March 2007 Volume 297 pages 1197-1206