Masaaki Nemoto, Hiroyuki Masuda, Nauyuki Harada, Nobuo Sugo*, Sayaka Terazono, Yasuhiro Node, Kei Uchino, Shinichi Okonogi, Yutaka Fuchinoue, Yuki Sakaeyama and Kosuke Kondo
Background: The objective of this study was to identify risk factors involved in the severity of deep subcortical white matter (DSWMH) and periventricular (PVH) hyper-intensities on MRI, which are white matter lesions.
Methods: The subjects were 506 consecutive asymptomatic patients examined in a brain dry-dock. The severities of DSWMH and PVH were classified using the Fazekas scale. Regarding risk factors, in addition to sex, age, cigarette smoking, alcohol drinking, and renal function, hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, and gout were divided into 3 grades: without the disease, being treated, or untreated, and evaluated.
Results: Regarding the normal group as grade 0 on the Fazekas scale, the relationship between the DSWMH severity and each risk factor was investigated. In addition to an increase with aging (p<0.001), the DSWMH severity increased in the order of the state of hypertension from without the disease, being treated, or untreated (p<0.01). The PVH severity increased with aging (p<0.001) and in the order of the state of diabetes mellitus from without the disease, being treated, or untreated (p<0.001).
Conclusion: Strict treatment of each disease may prevent aggravation of DSWMH and PVH, respectively, reducing incidences of stroke and dementia in the future.