Large sample size MRI measurements to assess the relation between cardiac function and structure and white matter hyperintensity volumes
Authors: Saccoh A , Floriaan F A , Sudre C , Paliwal N 
Published: October 2024

Background

People with established cardiovascular disease (CVD) are at risk of early cognitive decline, and neurological diseases such as dementia. CVD and neurological diseases share common risk factors, such as blood pressure, sedentary lifestyle, as well as genomic risk factors such as mutations in APOE4 [1]. It's unclear to what extent the co-occurrence of CVD and neurological diseases is explained by these risk factors, or whether there is a direct association where CVD is a first step towards poorer neurological health. White matter hyperintensities (WMH) of presumed vascular origin are damaged areas in the brain observed through magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). These lesions are associated with progressive neurological disease such as vascular dementia, as well with risk factors for CVD [2].

Purpose

We set out to determine to what extent CMR measurements associated with WMH independent of known cerebrovascular risk factors.

Methods

Cardiac and brain MRI images were analysed for 23,963 UK biobank (UKB) participants. WMH analysis included 5 brain regions (Frontal[F], Parietal[P], Temporal[T], Occipital[O], Basal Ganglia and Thalami [BGT]) and total brain WMH volume. Cardiac traits included stroke volumes, atrial volumes, ejection fractions of right and left chambers, left ventricular (LV) strain, LV wall thickness and aortic areas. Multivariable regression analysis was carried out, where each cardiac trait was regressed on each brain region and adjusted for: age, difference between age at initial visit and imaging visit, sex, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, Hba1c, household income, educational status, Townsend score and family history of disease (Alzheimer’s, Parkinson's, high blood pressure, stroke, heart disease) . Results were evaluated against a multiple testing correct p-value threshold of 0.05, reflecting the number of principle components(n=10) necessary to explain 90% of the cardiac trait variability.

Results

For 5 cardiac traits (right ventricular stroke volume, left atrial stroke volume, left ventricular stroke volume, left ventricular ejection fraction and right ventricular end diastolic volume) higher values were associated with lower WMH volumes in all brain regions. Additionally, some cardiac traits such as LV cardiac output associated with specific brain regions (T, O, BGT). Additionally, APOE- ε4 stratified analyses indicated, homozygous carriers show a greater association between higher minimum LA and RA volumes and higher WMH volumes in the occipital lobe.

Conclusions

This study gives an insight into the WMH burden in a large population of adults. It highlights the associations of cardiac traits with white matter hyperintensity volumes in different brain regions independent of known risk factors. Using cardiac traits as surrogate markers of different cardiac disease could explain how cardiac functionality defines WMH volume distribution and subsequently the wider relationship between CVD and cerebrovascular disease.Figure 1Graphical Abstract