Table 2 Clinical demographics of the stroke/TIA group.

Age, year, mean ± SD (min; max)

69.6 ± 11.67 (20; 98)

68.49 ± 12.17 (34; 94)

58.69 ± 11.08 (31; 84)

62.21 ± 13.55 (15; 91)

68.63 ± 7.18 (52; 92)

p < 0.001^a,b,f,g,h,i

Education, year, mean ± SD (min; max)

5.57 ± 4.69 (0; 30)

6.43 ± 5.19 (0; 20)

6.53 ± 4.14 (0; 18)

9.63 ± 5.78 (0; 18)

8.62 ± 4.98 (0; 22)

p < 0.001^{a,c,d,e,g,h,j}

Female; n (%)

445 (44.2%)

157 (39.3%)

90 (55.6%)

55 (39.9%)

53 (52.5%)

p = 0.003ⁱ

Hypertension; n (%)

698 (69.4%)

305 (76.3%)

132 (81.5%)

88 (64.2%)

73 (72.3%)

p = 0.001^b,e

Diabetes mellitus; n (%)

364 (36.2%)

176 (44.0%)

41 (25.3%)

46 (33.6%)

30 (29.7%)

p < 0.001ⁱ

Hyperlipidemia; n (%)

610 (60.6%)

200 (50.0%)

68 (42.0%)

56 (41.2%)

74 (73.3%)

p < 0.001^a,b,d,f,h,j

Ischemic heart disease; n (%)

93 (9.2%)

45 (11.3%)

30 (18.5%)

12 (22.2%)

17 (16.8%)

p < 0.001^a,b

Atrial fibrillation; n (%)

159 (15.8%)

62 (15.5%)

27 (16.7%)

0 (0.0%)

8 (7.9%)

p < 0.001^a,e,f,g

Smoker (either current or past); n (%)

397 (40.0%)

119 (29.8%)

50 (30.9%)

37 (26.8%)

12 (11.9%)

p < 0.001^a,c,d,f,h,j

MMSE, mean ± SD (min; max)

24.05 ± 5.86 (4; 30)

15.24 ± 6.45 (0; 28)

22.93 ± 5.21 (7; 30)

24.35 ± 6.38 (5; 30)

24.56 ± 5.43 (10; 30)

p < 0.001^d,g,i,j

WML = 0

396 (39.4%)

30 (7.5%)

11 (6.8%)

60 (43.5%)

2 (2.0%)

p < 0.001^{a,b,c,d,e,f,g,h,i}

WML = 1

203 (20.2%)

250 (62.5%)

7 (4.3%)

21 (15.2%)

56 (55.4%)

WML = 2

203 (20.3%)

86 (21.5%)

29 (17.9%)

57 (41.3%)

34 (33.7%)

WML = 3

204 (20.3%)

34 (8.5%)

115 (71.0%)

0 (0.0%)

9 (8.9%)

Prevalence of moderate to severe WML (≥ 2); n (%)

407 (40.5%)

120 (30.0%)

144 (88.9%)

57 (41.3%)

43 (42.6%)

p < 0.001^b,d,e,h,i