Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) is a group of disorders sharing atherosclerosis as a common pathological basis, primarily affecting the heart, brain, kidneys, and other peripheral arteries, leading to clinical syndromes characterized mainly by arterial ischemia. It has become the group of diseases with the highest morbidity and mortality rates worldwide. Patients with very high-risk ASCVD face an even greater risk of recurrence. Previous studies have discovered that remote ischemic conditioning (RIC) has protective effects on major organs such as the heart, brain, and kidneys. Given the cardiorenal and cerebrovascular protective effects of RIC, the invesitgators believe that long-term remote ischemic conditioning is a promising approach to preventing the recurrence of ASCVD events. Based on this hypothesis, the investigators have designed a prospective, multicenter cohort study with blinded outcome assessment to investigate the protective effects of long-term remote ischemic conditioning in very high-risk ASCVD populations.
Age over 40 years
Two or more prior major ASCVD events; OR one documented major ASCVD event with two or more of the following risk factors
signed informed consent
Age ≥65 y
Presence of severe neurological deficit (mRS score ≥ 3)
Uncontrolled severe hypertension (systolic blood pressure > 180 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure > 110 mmHg despite medication)
Subclavian artery stenosis ≥ 50% or presence of subclavian steal syndrome
Severe hematological disorders or significant coagulation abnormalities