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[Correlation of cardiovascular risk factors with brain iron deposition: A magnetic resonance imaging study]
Linlin Hu1,2, Ruiting Zhang1, Shuyue Wang1
1Department of Radiology, the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310009, China.
Insights
Common cardiovascular risk factors like smoking and hypertension are linked to increased brain iron deposition. These iron deposits vary based on individual factors such as gender and age.
Area of Science:
- Neuroimaging
- Cardiovascular Health
- Iron Metabolism
Background:
- Cardiovascular risk factors are prevalent in elderly populations.
- Brain iron deposition is associated with aging and neurological conditions.
- Understanding the link between cardiovascular health and brain iron is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the correlation between common cardiovascular risk factors and brain iron deposition.
- To identify specific brain regions affected by iron accumulation due to these risk factors.
Main Methods:
- Eighty-four elderly subjects without neurological diseases were assessed for cardiovascular risk factors.
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) was used to acquire T1-weighted and enhanced susceptibility weighted angiography (ESWAN) images.
- R2* values were extracted from segmented brain regions and analyzed for correlations with risk factors, gender, and age using multiple linear regression.
Main Results:
- Smoking correlated with increased R2* values in the hippocampus, white matter, and cortex.
- Hypertension was associated with higher R2* values in the putamen.
- Hyperglycemia showed a correlation with increased R2* in the thalamus.
- Male gender and older age were associated with altered R2* values in specific brain regions, including the thalamus, caudate nucleus, pallidus, white matter, and cortex.
Conclusions:
- Common cardiovascular risk factors contribute to brain iron deposition.
- The pattern of iron deposition in the brain is influenced by gender, age, and specific cardiovascular risk factors.
- These findings highlight the impact of cardiovascular health on brain iron accumulation.
Objective:
To study the correlation of common cardiovascular risk factors with brain iron deposition.
Methods:
Eighty-four elderly subjects without neurological diseases or brain trauma were included in the study. The cardiovascular risk factors were comprehensively assessed. MRI examination was performed to obtain high-resolution T1-weighted images and enhanced susceptibility weighted angiography (ESWAN) images, and R2* figure was obtained by post-processing the ESWAN sequence. High definition T1 images were segmented using computer segmentation technique. After registration to the ESWAN image, R2* values of each region of interest were extracted. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to analyze the relationship of R2* values in each area of interest with gender, age and vascular risk factors.
Results:
Smoking was associated with increased R2* values in the hippocampus, white matter and cortex (β=0.244, 0.317, 0.277, P<0.05 or P<0.01). Hypertension was correlated with the increase of R2* in the putamen (β=0.241, P=0.027). Hyperglycemia was associated with the increase of R2* in the thalamus (β=0.234, P<0.05). In the thalamus, the R2* value of males was higher than that of females (β=0.320, P<0.05). Age was correlated with the R2* values of thalamus, caudate nucleus, pallidus, white matter and cortex (β=-0.218、-0.254、0.216、-0.280 and -0.238, P<0.05 or P<0.01).
Conclusions:
Common cardiovascular risk factors may lead to iron deposition in the brain, and the deposition patterns vary with the gender, age and different risk factors.
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