Study Design
Demographic and clinical data were extracted from medical records, covering aspects such as gender, age, BMI, intracranial stent, smoking, alcohol consumption, hypertension, diabetes, or hyperlipidemia. Clopidogrel 75 mg and aspirin 100 mg were started by all patients at least 5 days before stenting. A 5 mL venous blood sample was taken from each patient a day before surgery for genotyping, preserved at -70°C. Seasoned neurointerventionalists undertook the stenting procedure. Post-surgery, patients were maintained on dual antiplatelet therapy for 90 days, transitioning thereafter to mono-antiplatelet therapy. Risk factors like hypertension, LDL levels, and lifestyle factors were actively managed. Primary endpoints included TIA, ischemic stroke, myocardial infarction, and vascular-related mortality. The researchers defined ischemic stroke as a new focal neurological deficit lasting at least 24 hours without bleeding on CT or MRI. They defined TIA as a transient episode of neurological dysfunction caused by focal cerebral or retinal ischemia, lasting at least 10 minutes but resolving within 24 hours, regardless of DWI changes. Outcomes were tracked through follow-up visits or phone interviews at regular intervals within a year (1, 2, 3, 6 and 12 months). The researchers reviewed inpatient readmission records and outpatient records. Two independent physicians who were blinded to the subsequent course classified and adjudicated all clinical events. The patient pool was then bifurcated into a ”case group” and a ”control group” for comparison based on genotypes.