Original Research Abstracts Presented at the 2026 Vascular Scientific Sessions of the Society for Vascular Medicine

Background: Globally, ischemic stroke together with ischemic heart disease rank among the leading causes of morbidity and is the second leading cause of mortality.More than 70% of strokes in the Philippines are ischemic, which results from long term atherosclerosis.Carotid plaques are associated with higher stroke risk and recurrence; however, the association between progressing carotid atherosclerosis and severity of neurological deficits has not yet been done.Carotid Plaque Score (CPS), a semi-quantitative measurement is obtained from carotid duplex ultrasonography.This study aims to determine the association between CPS and the severity of neurological deficits.Methods: A total of 1077 patients in the hospital's stroke registry from January 2023 to May 2025 were screened.After applying the exclusion criteria, 116 patients underwent statistical analysis.Plaques per segment were measured and scored.Zero for plaques 3.5 mm, and 2 if it is in-between.Maximum CPS is 24.Measurements were verified by a vascular medicine specialist.Stroke severity via National Institutes of Health Scoring System (NIHSS) was scored as Mild: 0-4 Moderate: 5-15, Severe: 16-42. Association between variables were done through regression analysis.Results: CPS had a moderately strong positive correlation with stroke severity (rs = 0.501, p < 0.001).A 3-point rise in CPS was associated with a 1-point rise in NIHSS (p < 0.001).Age (p < 0.001), dyslipidemia (p < 0.001), and smoking (p < 0.01), were found to contribute to plaque progression.Dyslipidemia and smoking were respectively associated with a 35 and 5-fold risk of progression to severe plaque.Conclusion: CPS is significantly associated with acute ischemic stroke severity.Modifiable risk factors were found to accelerate carotid plaque buildup.The authors recommend the routine inclusion of CPS in duplex scan reports as it may guide clinicians in prognostication, patient education, and risk stratification.It may also be used to improve stroke prevention.