Cerebral small-vessel disease at high altitude: A comparison of patients from plateau and plain

Cerebral small-vessel disease (CSVD) is prevalent worldwide and one of the major causes of stroke and dementia. For patients with CSVD at high altitude, a special environmental status, limited information is known about their clinical phenotype and specific neuroimaging change. We investigated the clinical and neuroimaging features of patients residing at high altitude by comparing with those in the plain, trying to explore the impact of high altitude environment on CSVD.

Two cohorts of CSVD patients from the Tibet Autonomous Region and Beijing were recruited retrospectively. In addition to the collection of clinical diagnoses, demographic information and traditional vascular risk factors, the presence, location, and severity of lacunes and white matter hyperintensities were assessed by manual counting and using age-related white matter changes (ARWMC) rating scale. Differences between the two groups and influence of long-term residing in the plateau were analyzed.

A total of 169 patients in Tibet (high altitude) and 310 patients in Beijing (low altitude) were enrolled. Fewer patients in high altitude group were found with acute cerebrovascular events and concomitant traditional vascular risk factors. The median (quartiles) ARWMC score was 10 (4, 15) in high altitude group and 6 (3, 12) in low altitude group. Less lacunes were detected in high altitude group [0 (0, 4)] than in low altitude group [2 (0, 5)]. In both groups, most lesions located in the subcortical (especially frontal) and basal ganglia regions. Logistic regressions showed that age, hypertension, family history of stroke, and plateau resident were independently associated with severe white matter hyperintensities, while plateau resident was negatively correlated with lacunes.

Patients of CSVD residing at high altitude showed more severe WMH but less acute cerebrovascular events and lacunes in neuroimaging, comparing to patients residing at low altitude. Our findings suggest potential biphasic effect of high altitude on the occurrence and progression of CSVD.