Key result
Higher CAC scores dose-dependently linked to periventricular and deep cerebral white matter hyperintensities.
Why the study?
To investigate the association of coronary artery calcium with white matter hyperintensity and clarify the relationship between white matter hyperintensity and atherosclerotic risk factors in a large-scale healthy population.
Is coronary artery calcium score associated with cerebral white matter hyperintensities in a healthy population?
Cross-Sectional (n=1,337)
Yes
Is coronary artery calcium score associated with cerebral white matter hyperintensities in a healthy population?
Higher coronary artery calcium scores are independently associated with an increased risk of cerebral white matter hyperintensities in a healthy population, suggesting CAC may help identify individuals at risk for cerebral small vessel disease.
CAC may mark cerebral small vessel disease risk; hypothesis-generating, needs longitudinal confirmation before any clinical use.
In brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), white matter hyperintensity (WMH) is a commonly encountered finding and is known to reflect cerebral small vessel disease. The aim of our study was to investigate the association of coronary artery calcium (CAC) with WMH and elucidate the relationship between WMH and atherosclerotic risk factors in a large-scale healthy population. This retrospective study included 1337 individuals who underwent brain MRI and CAC scoring computed tomography at healthcare centers affiliated with a tertiary hospital. Cerebral WMH was defined as Fazekas score greater than 2 on brain MRI. Intracranial artery stenosis (ICAS) was also assessed and determined to be present when stenosis was more than 50% on angiography. The associations of risk factors, CAC score, and ICAS with cerebral WMH were assessed by multivariable regression analysis. In multivariable analysis, categories of higher CAC scores showed increased associations with both periventricular and deep WMHs in a dose-dependent relationship. The presence of ICAS was also significantly related to cerebral WMH, and among the clinical variables, age and hypertension were independent risk factors. In conclusion, CAC showed a significant association with cerebral WMH in a healthy population, which might provide evidence for referring to the CAC score to identify individuals with risk of cerebral WMH.
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Choi et al. (2022) conducted a cross-sectional in Cerebral white matter hyperintensities (n=1,337). Coronary artery calcium (CAC) score vs. Lower CAC scores was evaluated on Association of CAC score with cerebral white matter hyperintensities (Fazekas score > 2). Higher coronary artery calcium scores were significantly associated with both periventricular and deep cerebral white matter hyperintensities in a dose-dependent relationship.
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