Hyperlipoproteinemia in occlusive cerebrovascular disease.

The distribution of occlusive atherosclerotic lesions in the aortocranial circulation as determined by arteriography was correlated with results of plasma lipid and lipoprotein determinations of patients with symptoms and signs of cerebrovascular disease. The incidence of hyperlipoproteinemia in the total study population was 31.8%. The frequency of hyperlipoproteinemia was signigicantly higher in patients with atherosclerotic lesions limited to extracranial (51%) and intracranial major vessels (44.2%) when compared to the total number of patients and patients with only intracranial small-vessel disease (P less than .05). Type IV hyperlipoproteinemia was the most common abnormality (extracranial group, 42% type IV, 9% type II; intracranial major-vessel group, 35.8% type IV, 8.4% type II). Patients with intracranial small-vessel disease had the lowest frequency of hyperlipoproteinemia (14.2%). The frequency of hypertension with or without hyperlipoproteinemia was higher in patients with intracranial small-vessel disease (P less than .01).