Lipid metabolism and hemocoagulation in patients with atherosclerotic stenosis of the extracranial arteries.

Lipid metabolism, lipid peroxidation and hemocoagulation were studied in 276 patients with ischemic brain disease which developed due to atherosclerotic stenoses of the extracranial cerebral arteries (ECA). The main biochemical parameters were evaluated bearing in mind to the severity of vascular and ischemic lesion of the brain. It has been revealed as s result that the rise of the degree of arterial stenosis correlates well with the growth of the content of atherogenic lipoproteins and of the atherogenicity index. Total cholesterol (Chs) and low density lipoproteins (LDL) have a greater effect in the early disease stages whereas the high triglyceride content combined with LDL plays a relatively more important part in the late stages of vascular lesion. Both medium and high degree stenoses of the ECA are associated with a significant increase in the activity of lipid peroxidation and the build up of the number of primary products of free radical oxidation in the overwhelming majority of patients. Changes in the hemostatic system toward hyper-coagulation are associated with the high thrombotic preparedness of blood. The treatment of patients suffering from cerebral ischemia and atherosclerotic stenosfia of the EGA requires correction of the disorders in lipid metabolism, hemocoagulation and hyperreactivity of the vessel wall in different stages of disease.