Central arterial stiffness tied to higher WMH, lower brain volume in adults

Age-related central arterial stiffness appears to contribute to increased white matter hyperintensity (WMH) volume and decreased total brain volume (TBV), suggests a study. Increased arterial pulsation potentially mediates these associations.

“Mounting evidence suggests that central arterial stiffening is associated with brain ageing in older adults,” according to the researchers, who then proceeded to determine the relationship of age with carotid arterial stiffness and carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV).

In addition, they explored the associations between age-related arterial stiffness, brain WMH, and TBV, and whether the effects of central arterial stiffness on WMH volume and TBV were mediated by pulsatile cerebral blood flow (CBF).

Overall, 178 adults aged 21‒80 years had their central arterial stiffness measured using tonometry and ultrasonography, WMH and TBV through magnetic resonance imaging, and pulsatile CBF at the middle cerebral artery via transcranial Doppler.

Advanced age significantly correlated with increases in both carotid arterial stiffness and cfPWV, increases in WMH volume, and decreases in TBV (p<0.01 for all).

Carotid β-stiffness showed a positive association with WMH volume (b, 0.015; p=0.017), while cfPWV exhibited a negative association with TBV (B, ‒0.558; p<0.001) in multiple linear regression analysis, adjusted for age, sex, and arterial pressure.

Furthermore, pulsatile CBF played a role in the relationship between carotid β-stiffness and WMH (95 percent confidence interval, 0.0001‒0.0079).