JAHA: The effect of peripheral microvascular endothelial dysfunction on white matter hyperintensity

White matter hyperintensity (WMH) is characterized by T2-weighted fluid attenuation inversion to restore cerebral magnetic resonance imaging hyperintensity, and is associated with an increased risk of ischemic stroke (IS)
.

Recently, a research article was published in JAHA, an authoritative journal in the field of cardiovascular diseases, which aims to investigate the association between endothelial dysfunction and regional WMH and its impact on the risk of IS in the future
.

The researchers recruited 219 patients (mean age: 53.
1±14.
1 years; 34.
7% were men) who used reactive hyperemia peripheral arterial tonometer and brain magnetic resonance imaging to evaluate peripheral endothelial function without any history of IS
.

The overall and cortical WMH volume/intracranial volume (%) increases with age, and is more prominent in patients over 50 years (n=131) than those under 50 years (n=88) (total WMH: ≤50 years old, Pearsonr=0.
24, P=0.
03; >50 years old, Pearsonr=0.
62, P<0.
0001; Near cortical WMH: ≤50 years old, Pearsonr=0.
09, P=0.
40; >50 years old, Pearsonr=0.
55, P<0.
0001)
.

It can be seen that peripheral endothelial dysfunction is related to the increase in the volume of paracortical WMH in patients over 50 years of age, which is a potential marker for predicting the risk of IS in the future
.

Original source:

Takumi Toya.