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Mid-life association between cardiovascular risk factors and cerebral blood flow in a multi-ethnic population
Esther M C Vriend1,2, Mathijs B J Dijsselhof3,4, Thomas A Bouwmeester1
1Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Department of Internal Medicine, Section Vascular Medicine, Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Insights
Midlife cardiovascular risk factors impact cerebral blood flow and macrovascular efficiency differently across ethnic groups. Further research is needed to understand ethnic-specific risk profiles and cerebrovascular health.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Cardiology
- Public Health
Background:
- Cardiovascular (CV) risk factors are linked to cerebrovascular damage and cognitive decline.
- Ethnic variations in CV risk profiles and their impact on midlife cerebral hemodynamics remain unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate associations between CV risk factors and cerebral hemodynamics in midlife.
- To examine the influence of ethnicity on these associations.
Main Methods:
- The HELIUS study included participants of Dutch, Moroccan, and South-Asian Surinamese descent.
- Cerebral blood flow (CBF) and spatial coefficient of variation (sCoV) were measured via MRI.
- Associations were analyzed using linear regressions, considering CV risk factors, white matter hyperintensities (WMH), and carotid plaques.
Main Results:
- Cerebral blood flow (CBF) and sCoV varied by ethnicity.
- Associations were observed at the second MRI visit: CV disease history linked to lower grey matter CBF and higher white matter sCoV.
- Higher total cholesterol, lower WMH volume, smoking, and higher systolic blood pressure (SBP) were associated with altered CBF and sCoV.
Conclusions:
- Cerebral hemodynamics exhibit ethnic differences in midlife.
- While no ethnic interaction was found for CV risk factor associations, observed variations in CBF and sCoV underscore the need for further investigation.
- Understanding ethnic-specific risk profiles is crucial for addressing cerebrovascular pathology.
Background:
Cardiovascular (CV) risk factors are associated with cerebrovascular damage and cognitive decline in late-life. However, it is unknown how different ethnic CV risk profiles relate to cerebral haemodynamics in mid-life. We aimed to investigate associations of CV risk factors with cerebral haemodynamics at two timepoints and examine the impact of ethnicity on these measures.
Methods:
From the HELIUS study (53.0 years, 44.8 % female), participants of Dutch (n = 236), Moroccan (n = 122), or South-Asian Surinamese (n = 173) descent were included. Cerebral blood flow (CBF) and its spatial coefficient of variation (sCoV, an ASL-label arrival measure of macrovascular efficiency) were obtained in grey (GM) and white matter (WM). CV risk factors were assessed 8.4 years [7.4-9.5] (first visit) and 2.2 years [1.8-2.6] (second visit) prior to MRI. Associations of CV risk factors, WM hyperintensities (WMH), and carotid plaques with cerebral haemodynamics were investigated using linear regressions.
Results:
CBF and sCoV differed per ethnicity. Only at the second visit associations were found, without an interaction with ethnicity; history of CV disease with lower GM CBF and higher WM sCoV, higher total cholesterol and lower WMH volume with lower WM CBF, smoking with higher WM sCoV, and higher SBP with lower GM sCoV.
Conclusions:
These findings suggest that cerebral haemodynamics differ between ethnic groups in midlife. Although no interaction with ethnicity was found in the associations of CV risk factors, the observed differences in CBF and sCoV highlight the need to further explore how ethnic-specific risk profiles may contribute to cerebrovascular pathology over time.
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