Study finds that white matter abnormalities in coronary artery disease correlate with cognition, highlighting cardiorespiratory fitness as a protective factor.
Motivation: Patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) are at an increased risk of cerebrovascular disease. Evidence regarding pathological alterations in white matter (WM) microstructure in patients with CAD is lacking. Goal(s): This study assessed WM abnormalities in patients with CAD and their associations with cardiorespiratory fitness and cognition. Approach: WM abnormalities were quantified using the Mahalanobis distance to measure deviation from a healthy reference group across 12 WM features. Results: These findings suggest that higher WM abnormalities observed in patients with CAD may contribute to a heightened risk of cognitive impairment and that cardiorespiratory fitness may provide a protective effect on WM health. Impact: Our findings indicate that higher white matter alterations in patients with coronary artery disease could increase the risk of cognitive deficits, while higher cardiorespiratory fitness may preserve white matter health, potentially aiding in the management of the disease.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Potvin-Jutras et al. (2025) studied this question.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: