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Risk factors for intracerebral hemorrhage in small-vessel disease and non-small-vessel disease etiologies-an
Philipp Arndt1,2, Christian Chahem1, Michael Luchtmann3,4
1Department of Neurology, Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany.
Insights
Non-cerebral small-vessel disease (CSVD) causes of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) have fewer risk factors than hypertensive arteriopathy (HA) or cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) related ICH, but still occur frequently. Further research should include these factors for better bleeding risk stratification.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Vascular Medicine
- Radiology
Background:
- Cerebral small-vessel disease (CSVD), encompassing hypertensive arteriopathy (HA) and cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA), is a primary cause of spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH).
- Non-CSVD etiologies, including trauma, vascular malformations, and tumors, account for a significant portion of ICH cases but are less studied regarding bleeding risk factors.
- Previous research has primarily compared HA- and CAA-related ICH, often excluding non-CSVD causes and limiting understanding of diverse ICH risk profiles.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare risk factors for spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) across different etiologies: hypertensive arteriopathy (HA), cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA), and non-CSVD causes.
- To investigate the prevalence of demographic factors, antithrombotic medication use, vascular risk profiles, and cerebral small-vessel disease (CSVD) severity in patients with ICH from various causes.
- To provide a comprehensive analysis of factors contributing to ICH beyond the primary pathology, particularly in non-CSVD cases.
Main Methods:
- A retrospective observational study involving 922 patients diagnosed with ICH.
- Screening of medical records for 861 patients to gather data on demographics, antithrombotic medication, and vascular risk factors.
- Assessment of cerebral small-vessel disease (CSVD) severity using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in 185 patients, with a sum score of ≥2 indicating advanced pathology.
Main Results:
- Of 922 ICH patients, 73% were attributed to HA or CAA, and 27% to non-CSVD causes; median age was 71 years.
- Patients with HA- and CAA-related ICH showed higher rates of advanced age, antithrombotic medication use, vascular risk factors, and advanced CSVD on MRI compared to non-CSVD ICH.
- Notably, 50% of non-CSVD ICH patients exhibited risk factors such as age over 60, vascular risk factors, or advanced CSVD on MRI.
Conclusions:
- While non-CSVD etiologies of ICH present with fewer risk factors than HA- or CAA-related ICH, these factors remain prevalent.
- The findings underscore the importance of considering a broader range of risk factors, beyond the primary pathology, for accurate bleeding risk stratification in ICH patients.
- Future research should integrate these additional factors to enhance the precision of individual risk assessment for spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage.
Background:
Sporadic cerebral small-vessel disease (CSVD), i.e., hypertensive arteriopathy (HA) and cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA), is the main cause of spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). Nevertheless, a substantial portion of ICH cases arises from non-CSVD etiologies, such as trauma, vascular malformations, and brain tumors. While studies compared HA- and CAA-related ICH, non-CSVD etiologies were excluded from these comparisons and are consequently underexamined with regard to additional factors contributing to increased bleeding risk beyond their main pathology.
Methods:
As a proof of concept, we conducted a retrospective observational study in 922 patients to compare HA, CAA, and non-CSVD-related ICH with regard to factors that are known to contribute to spontaneous ICH onset. Medical records (available for n = 861) were screened for demographics, antithrombotic medication, and vascular risk profile, and CSVD pathology was rated on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in a subgroup of 185 patients. The severity of CSVD was assessed with a sum score ranging from 0 to 6, where a score of ≥2 was defined as advanced pathology.
Results:
In 922 patients with ICH (median age of 71 years), HA and CAA caused the majority of cases (n = 670, 73%); non-CSVD etiologies made up the remaining quarter (n = 252, 27%). Individuals with HA- and CAA-related ICH exhibited a higher prevalence of predisposing factors than those with non-CSVD etiologies. This includes advanced age (median age: 71 vs. 75 vs. 63 years, p < 0.001), antithrombotic medication usage (33 vs. 37 vs. 19%, p < 0.001), prevalence of vascular risk factors (70 vs. 67 vs. 50%, p < 0.001), and advanced CSVD pathology on MRI (80 vs. 89 vs. 51%, p > 0.001). However, in particular, half of non-CSVD ICH patients were either aged over 60 years, presented with vascular risk factors, or had advanced CSVD on MRI.
Conclusion:
Risk factors for spontaneous ICH are less common in non-CSVD ICH etiologies than in HA- and CAA-related ICH, but are still frequent. Future studies should incorporate these factors, in addition to the main pathology, to stratify an individual's risk of bleeding.
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