Although lacunar cerebral infarction presents mildly after an acute attack and has a good short-term prognosis, the long-term mortality rate of patients is almost indistinguishable from that of other types of cerebral infarction. The results of a study on the epidemiology of lacunar cerebral infarction in China, completed by researchers from Capital Medical University and Peking University School of Public Health, including Fang Fang Hua, Li Liming and Ji Xunming, overturn the perception that lacunar cerebral infarction has a good prognosis. A paper related to the study was recently published in the prestigious international journal European Journal of Neurology. Ji Xunming, Department of Neurosurgery, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University A lacunar cerebral infarction is a lesion in a small penetrating artery deep in the brain that eventually forms a thrombus or microembolism leading to vascular occlusion and the formation of a lacunar softening lesion, usually 2 mm to 15 mm in diameter, with a maximum of no more than 20 mm, often caused by hypertension and diabetes. According to Direction Hua, they used the internationally recognized epidemiological study method of cerebral infarction to conduct a comprehensive and systematic study of symptomatic lacunar cerebral infarction in northern China for 6 years. The results of the study showed that the incidence of lacunar cerebral infarction in the northern region of China was 78/100,000, and the incidence rate was 35/100,000 after standardization according to the world population, and the proportion of lacunar cerebral infarction in all cerebral infarction and ischemic infarction in China was 27.6% and 36.9%, respectively. All these figures are significantly higher than those of Western countries and also higher than those of the black population with a high incidence of cerebral infarction. Hypertension, diabetes and hyperlipidemia are closely related to the development of the disease. Clinical expert Professor Ji Xunming said that lacunar cerebral infarction has a mild manifestation and good short-term prognosis after an acute attack, leading patients, their families and even some medical staff to pay little attention to lacunar cerebral infarction. If the patient’s symptoms are not effectively controlled, large cerebral infarcts can occur, which can be complicated by vascular dementia such as progressive decline in cognitive function. Professor Li Liming, a renowned public health expert, pointed out that there is an increasing trend of patients with lacunar cerebral infarction being seen in recent years. The new findings on the characteristics of lacunar cerebral infarction bring new insights to the prevention and treatment of cerebral infarction. (Health News)