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Updated: Dec 5, 2025
Non-invasive Assessment of Microvascular and Endothelial Function
Published on: January 29, 2013
Arterial elasticity, endothelial function and intracranial vascular health: A multimodal MRI study
Wenjin Liu1, Zhensen Chen1, Dakota Ortega1
1Department of Radiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
Insights
Arterial stiffness and endothelial dysfunction in older hypertensive men are linked to reduced brain blood flow. Arterial stiffness also correlates with intracranial atherosclerosis and white matter hyperintensity, indicating broader cerebral vascular injury.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Science
- Neurology
- Hypertension Research
Background:
- Vascular dysfunctions like arterial stiffness and endothelial dysfunction are common in hypertension.
- Subclinical intracranial vascular health is crucial in hypertensive individuals.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between arterial stiffness, endothelial function, and subclinical intracranial vascular health in older hypertensive males.
- To assess associations with intracranial atherosclerosis, cerebral blood flow, vascular rarefaction, and white matter hyperintensity.
Main Methods:
- Recruited 200 older hypertensive males without overt cardiovascular or cerebrovascular diseases.
- Measured arterial elasticity (carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity, cfPWV) and endothelial function (digital reactive hyperemia index, RHI).
- Evaluated intracranial vascular health using MRI: atherosclerosis, cerebral blood flow (CBF), vascular rarefaction, and white matter hyperintensity (WMH).
Main Results:
- A significant negative association was found between cfPWV and CBF, indicating arterial stiffness is linked to reduced brain perfusion.
- Higher cfPWV correlated with intracranial stenotic plaque and increased WMH volume.
- Positive relationship between RHI and CBF suggests endothelial dysfunction is associated with reduced CBF.
Conclusions:
- Arterial stiffness and endothelial dysfunction are associated with reduced brain perfusion in older hypertensive males.
- Arterial stiffness is linked to global cerebral vascular injury, affecting both small and medium-to-large intracranial arteries.
Abstract:
Vascular dysfunctions, including arterial stiffness and endothelial dysfunction, are prevalent in hypertensive subjects. We aimed to study their relations to subclinical intracranial vascular health in this study. A total of 200 older hypertensive males without overt cardiovascular or cerebrovascular diseases were recruited. Arterial elasticity was measured as carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) and endothelial function was measured as digital reactive hyperemia index (RHI). Cerebrovascular health was evaluated using MRI in four aspects: intracranial atherosclerosis, brain perfusion as cerebral blood flow (CBF), vascular rarefaction analyzed as visible arterial branches on angiography using a custom-developed analysis technique and small vessel disease measured as white matter hyperintensity (WMH). There was a significant negative association between cfPWV and CBF, suggesting a link between arterial stiffness and CBF decline. Higher cfPWV was also associated with presence of intracranial stenotic plaque and greater WMH volume. RHI was positively related to CBF, indicating that endothelial dysfunction was associated with reduced CBF. All the associations remained significant after adjustment for confounding variables. Arterial stiffness and endothelial dysfunction are associated with reduced brain perfusion in older hypertensive males. Arterial stiffness is also associated with global cerebral vascular injury, affecting both small and medium-to-large arteries.
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