4.7 Article

Associations between low circulatory low-density lipoprotein cholesterol level and brain health in non-stroke non-demented subjects

Journal

NEUROIMAGE
Volume 181, Issue -, Pages 627-634

Publisher

ACADEMIC PRESS INC ELSEVIER SCIENCE
DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2018.07.049

Keywords

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Funding

  1. Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan
  2. Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taiwan
  3. Veterans Affair Council of Taiwan [VGH V105C-055, MOST 104-2314-B-075-MY3, MOST 103-2633-B-400-002, MOST 105-3011-B-010-001, 105-X2-2- 1, NSC 101-2314-B-010, NSC 102-2314-B -010-051-MY2]
  4. Veterans Affair Council of Taiwan (Taipei) [VGH V104C-059]

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Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and hypertension have independent and synergistic effects on atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. However, the role of circulatory LDL-C and its possible interactions with hypertension in brain health have been poorly investigated. The study aimed to investigate the relationship between the circulatory LDL-C level and (1) brain structures, grey-matter volume (GMV) and white matter hyperintensity (WMH) and (2) cognitive functions, and whether hypertension plays a role in these relationships. Subjects who were non-stroke and non-demented were prospectively recruited from the community-based ILan Longitudinal Aging Study. High-resolution 3T MRI was performed with GM and WMH segmentation. GMVs, total and regional including Alzheimer's disease-susceptible area, and WMH volumes were measured. Neurological tests including verbal memory, visuospatial, and verbal executive functions were assessed. Eight-hundred-and-two participants (59.2 +/- 5.7 years; 44% men) were included. Multivariate linear regression analyses showed that low circulatory LDL-C levels (<98 mg/dL) were significantly associated with reduced GMVs in frontal (standardized beta = -0.130; p = 0.003) and posterior cingulate (beta = -0.113; p = 0.032) regions in hypertensive but not normotensive subjects. In addition, low circulatory LDL-C levels, combined with hypertension, had the lowest posterior cingulate GMV (beta = -0.073; p = 0.021), highest periventricular WMH (beta = 0.089; p = 0.011) and lowest verbal memory test scores (beta = -0.088; p = 0.035) compared with neither low circulatory LDL-C level nor hypertension, and either hypertension or low circulatory LDL-C level. Age, sex, total intracranial volume, vascular risk factors, level of other circulatory lipids, and the taking of anti-hypertensive and lipid-lowering medications were adjusted. In conclusion, the role of circulatory LDL-C level and its interactive effect with hypertension on brain health are firstly demonstrated. A low circulatory LDL-C level was associated with reduced regional brain GMVs in hypertensive but not normotensive subjects. In addition, there seems a combined detrimental-effect of low circulatory LDL-C levels with hypertension on posterior cingulate GMV, WMH, and verbal memory.

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