Associations of Blood Pressure and Carotid Flow Velocity with Brain Volume and Cerebral Small Vessel Disease in a Community-Based Population

AbstractCerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) is a common finding on brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). We previously demonstrated that high blood pressure (BP) and low carotid flow velocity were associated with cerebrovascular disease. However, their associations with brain volume and CSVD remain to be determined. A total of 721 adults ( ≥ 50 years) from the community-based I-Lan Longitudinal Aging Study were included. Flow velocities at the common (CCA) and internal carotid artery (ICA), including peak systolic velocity (PSV) and end-diastolic velocity (EDV), were measured with Doppler ultrasound. We further detected the prese nce of CSVD including lacune, microbleed, and white matter hyperintensity (WMH) on brain MRI, which were used to construct a combined CSVD score. General linear regression and logistic regression analysis were exploited to evaluate the association between carotid flow velocity, BP, brain volume, and CSVD. The mean of white matter, gray matter, and WMH volume were 422.2 cm3, 546.9  cm3, and 2.61  cm3, respectively. The proportion of lacune and microbleed were 11.1% and 14.2%, respectively. The CSVD score were negatively associated with gray (r = − 0.121,p <  .01) and white matter volume (r = 0.058,p = 0.12), but positively associated with systolic BP (beta = 1.02,p = 0.0017). EDV at common carotid artery associated positively with white matter volume (beta = 1.013,p = 0.0064) and negatively predicted t...
Source: Translational Stroke Research - Category: Neurology Source Type: research