Background and Purpose-Although intracranial artery calcification (IAC) has been reported to be a risk factor for ischemic stroke, the prognostic implications of IAC in stroke outcome are unknown. The purpose of this study was to determine the association between IAC and risk of vascular events and death in patients with stroke after hospital discharge. Methods-All patients with ischemic stroke over a 1-year period were included (nϭ302). IAC, assessed by multidetector CT, was defined as hyperdense foci (peak density Ͼ130 Hounsfield units) and assessed in the 7 major cerebral arteries. The IAC scores ranged from 0 (no calcification) to 7. Follow-up information on major clinical events (including fatal or nonfatal ischemic stroke, cardiac and peripheral artery events, and all-cause death) was obtained by means of a structured phone interview.
Results-IAC was present in 260 patients (83%). With a mean follow-up of 773Ϯ223 days