Cerebral Small-Vessel Disease Markers on Magnetic Resonance Imaging as Predictors of Recurrent Vascular Events and Death in Ischemic Stroke: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Cerebral small-vessel disease encompasses a spectrum of magnetic resonance imaging features reflecting microvascular pathology in ischemic stroke. Among these, white matter hyperintensities (WMHs) and cerebral microbleeds (CMBs) are the most widely studied. While both are well established as risk factors for cognitive decline in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS), their prognostic value for vascular events and death after AIS remains unclear. This study aims to evaluate WMH and CMB as predictors of recurrent stroke, cardiovascular death, and all-cause death in patients with AIS.

Methods

We systematically searched PubMed and Embase for longitudinal studies from July 1977 to March 2024 reporting adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) or odds ratios for these outcomes a

SUBMITTER: Hairus S MN 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12553415 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature