Frequency of Asymptomatic Intracranial and Extracranial Arterial Stenosis in a Group of Healthy General Papulation in Kerman (South of Iran)

This study aimed to investigate the frequency of asymptomatic intracranial and extracranial artery stenosis in healthy volunteers in Kerman, Iran, in 2019 using Doppler ultrasound imaging. This cross-sectional study was conducted on healthy volunteers in Kerman in 2019 following a public elicitation. After the general examination, 138 healthy volunteers who had no history of any disease and were not treated with any medication underwent cerebrovascular evaluation with Doppler ultrasound. Demographic information, history of addiction, and sonographic findings were recorded in a checklist and then analyzed using SPSS 22. Stenosis was found in 14.4% of volunteers. The mean age of participants was 45.8±10.12 years, and 74 (54%) of them were male. In volunteers with stenosis, a significant correlation was found between age (P = 0.03) and addiction (P = 0.04) with the involved artery. There was also a significant correlation between addiction and intracranial and extracranial artery stenosis (P = 0.04). Logistic regression analysis showed a significant relationship between being female, addiction, and age with stenosis, as well as between addiction and intracranial artery stenosis (P <0.05). The majority of healthy residents of Kerman have asymptomatic cerebrovascular stenosis, and this is more prevalent in the elderly, addicts, and women.