Increased aortic arch pulse wave velocity was associated with decreased white matter fractional anisotropy (β = -0.30, P=0.018) and increased gray and white matter radial diffusivity.
Observational (n=66)
Is aortic arch stiffness associated with incipient microstructural brain injury in patients with hypertension?
Aortic arch stiffness is independently associated with microstructural brain tissue damage in hypertensive patients prior to the development of overt cerebrovascular disease.
Effect estimate: β = -0.30 (for white matter FA)
p-value: p=0.018
BACKGROUND: It has been shown that microstructural brain tissue damage can be detected in hypertension patients, while the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. We aim to explore the association between diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) measures of brain injury and aortic arch pulse wave velocity (PWV) in hypertensive patients without clinically manifest cerebrovascular disease. METHODS: Sixty-six hypertension patients (30 men, mean age 46±14 years) were prospectively included. Aortic arch PWV was assessed using velocity-encoded magnetic resonance imaging (VE-MRI). Brain tissue integrity was assessed by using DTI. Multivariable linear regression analysis was performed to assess the association between aortic arch PWV and fractional anisotropy (FA), axial diffusivity (AxD), and radial diffusivity (RD). RESULTS: Increased aortic arch PWV was associated with decreased white matter FA (β = -0.30, P = 0.018), increased gray matter AxD (β = 0.28, P = 0.016), and increased gray and white matter RD (β = 0.30, P = 0.008 and β = 0.35, P = 0.003, respectively). These effects were independent of age, sex, body mass index, smoking, and white matter hyperintensity (WMH) volume. CONCLUSIONS: Aortic arch stiffness relates to incipient brain injury before overt brain abnormalities may become apparent in patients with hypertension.
Sala et al. (2015) conducted an observational in Hypertension without clinically manifest cerebrovascular disease (n=66). Aortic arch pulse wave velocity (PWV) was evaluated on Microstructural brain tissue damage measured by fractional anisotropy (FA), axial diffusivity (AxD), and radial diffusivity (RD) (β = -0.30 (for white matter FA), p=0.018). Increased aortic arch pulse wave velocity was associated with decreased white matter fractional anisotropy (β = -0.30, P=0.018) and increased gray and white matter radial diffusivity.