Arterial Stiffness Is Associated With Basal Ganglia Enlarged Perivascular Spaces and Cerebral Small Vessel Disease Load.

Background And Purpose: We assessed whether the load of cerebral small vessel disease (cSVD) and its individual markers, including lacunes, white matter hyperintensities, microbleeds, and enlarged perivascular spaces (EPVS), are associated with arterial stiffness.

Methods: We evaluated cSVD markers in a cohort of 782 hypertensive individuals without history of stroke or dementia. The load of the disease was calculated using an ordinal scale ranging from 0 to 4 (1 point was given for each of the 4 markers examined).

Dementia Rating Scale-2 normative data for middle-and older-aged Castilian speaking Spaniards.

Objectives: The Dementia Rating Scale-2 (DRS-2) is frequently used as a dementia screening tool in clinical and research settings in Spain. The present study describes DRS-2 Total and subscale scores in community-dwelling Spaniards, aged 50-71, and provides normative data for its use in Castilian Spanish-speaking individuals.

Methods: The sample consisted of 798 individuals who participated in an observational study on essential hypertension.

Short-Term Blood Pressure Variability Relates to the Presence of Subclinical Brain Small Vessel Disease in Primary Hypertension.

Blood pressure (BP) variability is associated with stroke risk, but less is known about subclinical cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD). We aimed to determine whether CSVD relates to short-term BP variability independently of BP levels and also, whether they improve CSVD discrimination beyond clinical variables and office BP levels. This was a cohort study on asymptomatic hypertensives who underwent brain magnetic resonance imaging and 24-hour ambulatory BP monitoring.

Investigating silent strokes in hypertensives: a magnetic resonance imaging study (ISSYS): rationale and protocol design.

Background: Silent brain infarcts are detected by neuroimaging in up to 20% of asymptomatic patients based on population studies. They are five times more frequent than stroke in general population, and increase significantly both with advancing age and hypertension. Moreover, they are independently associated with the risk of future stroke and cognitive decline.