Aim To provide reference for the therapy and the prevention of cerebrovascular disease,we investigated the relationship between age and the location and the severity of stenosis in ischemic stroke patients. Methods From January 2004 to October 2005,311 patients with ischemic stroke were selected and diagnosed by DSA.Among them,there were 223 males and 88 females ranging from 18 to 82 years old.They were divided into three groups by age: young group(<45 years old),middle-age group(45～59 years old),and elder group(≥ 60 years old).Artery stenosis was diagnosed based on the North American Symptomatic Carotid Endarterectomy Trial(NASCET).This study examines the relationship between age and the location and severity of stenosis. Results ① 218(70.1%) of 311 patients with ischemic stroke suffered from artery stenosis.The incidence of ischemic stroke increases with age.The incidences between genders were not significantly different(P>0.05).②The distributions of ischemic stroke differs in different age groups(P<0.01): the young group exhibits high incidence in the intracranial artery(69.0%),but the middle-age and elder groups exhibit high incidences in both the intra and extracranial arteries(respectively,36.2% and 38.2%).③The numbers of intra-and extracranial artery stenosis were compared among the different age groups—while the difference for extracranial artery was significant(P<0.05),the difference for intracranial artery was not(P>0.05).④Among the different age groups,the severity of stenosis was not significantly different(P>0.05). Conclusions In Chinese patients with ischemic stroke,the distribution of artery atherosclerosis is increasing with age,but not necessarily more severe.The severity of stenosis is also related to the diameter of the blood vessel.