Clinical characteristics of 40 patients
| Characteristics | No. |
|---|---|
| Mean age in years (range) | 59 (19–85) |
| Male sex | 26 (65%) |
| Arterial hypertension | 30 (75%) |
| Hypercholesterolemia | 24 (60%) |
| Diabetes mellitus | 20 (50%) |
| Smoking | 9 (23%) |
| Coronary artery disease | 7 (18%) |
| Peripheral artery disease | 5 (13%) |
| Obesity | 13 (33%) |
| Hyperuricemia | 8 (20%) |
| Hyperhomocysteinemia | 3 (8%) |
| Cerebral ischemic infarct | 17 (43%) |
| Transient ischemic attack | 10 (25%) |
| Asymptomatic | 6 (15%) |
| Other* | 7 (18%) |
* Other clinical indications for performing a vascular diagnostic work-up included syncope (n = 2), migraine headache (n = 1), suspected cerebral and temporal vasculitis (n= 3), and sleep apnea syndrome (n = 1).