Effect of abnormal distribution of abdominal adiposity and skeletal muscle on the outcomes of endovascular treatment for emergent large vessel occlusion.

Abstract

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationships between imaging indicators of obesity, as measured by computed tomography (CT), and clinical outcomes at 90 days and 1 year after emergent endovascular therapy (EVT).

Methods: Participants with emergent large vessel occlusion (ELVO) who underwent EVT were prospectively enrolled. During hospitalization, CT scans were performed to evaluate the visceral adipose tissue area (VATA) and skeletal muscle area (SMA) at the level of the third lumbar spine. Multivariate regression analysis was used to assess the correlation of obesity-related imaging measures with various outcomes: mortality, favorable functional outcomes (modified Rankin scale (mRS) score 0-2), and functional improvement (shift in mRS score) at 90 days and 1 year.

Results: A total of 306 ELVO patients were included in the study, with a median age of 64 years and a median baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score of 18. After adjusting for potential confounders, the VATA-to-SMA ratio (VSR) was significantly associated with a favorable functional outcome (OR 0.30, 95% CI 0.13 to 0.70) at 90 days and a favorable functional outcome (OR 0.27, 95% CI 0.12 to 0.61) and functional improvement (OR 0.33, 95% CI 0.12 to 0.92) at the 1 year follow-up.

Conclusion: Our study indicated that lower VSR levels are associated with favorable functional outcomes, along with functional improvement at 90 days and 1 year of follow-up.