High estimated pulse-wave velocity is associated with lower brain white matter microstructural integrity twelve years later.

ABSTRACT: High pulse wave velocity (PWV), a measure of increased arterial stiffness, is a risk factor for cerebrovascular disease. PWV can be estimated (ePWV) from age and blood pressure (BP). Elevated ePWV is associated with cerebral small-vessel disease, cognitive decline, and dementia risk in middle-aged and older adults. We examined data from the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) Neuroscience Project to examine the association of ePWV with brain white matter microstructure. BP was measured in 132 middle-aged adults (mean age 53+/- 10 years, n = 77 women, n = 38 Black/African American) between 2004 and 2009 and used to calculate ePWV. Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) data were acquired between 2017 and 2022 and used to estimate: global white matter fractional anisotropy; axial, radial, and mea

SUBMITTER: Heffernan KS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12407023 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature