Blood pressure variability and leukoaraiosis amount in cerebral small-vessel disease.
OBJECTIVE
To analyze the correlation between blood pressure (BP) variability and leukoaraiosis (LA) amount in patients with symptomatic cerebral small-vessel disease.


METHODS
We included 25 hypertensive patients: 13 with Binswanger's disease (BD) and 12 with a first-ever lacunar infarction (LI). Baseline office BP was obtained for 3 consecutive weeks. From a 24-h ambulatory BP monitoring performed 1 week later we obtained average systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) BP for daytime, nighttime and 24-h periods. SBP and DBP variability was defined as the within-subject standard deviation of all readings. A standardized cerebral MR was performed in each patient and an LA score was calculated.


RESULTS
No statistically significant correlation was obtained between the LA score and any of the following BP values: 1) Baseline SBP and DBP; 2) 24-h, daytime or nighttime SBP and DBP, and 3) 24-h, daytime or nighttime SBP and DBP variability.


CONCLUSIONS
Increased BP variability is not associated with greater amounts of leukoaraiosis.
Martí-Fàbregas
J
J
Department of Neurology Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain. jmarti@hsp.santpau.es
Valencia
C
C
Pujol
J
J
García-Sánchez
C
C
Roca-Cusachs
A
A
López-Contreras
J
J
Solé
M J
MJ
Martí-Vilalta
J L
JL
D000368:Aged; D018660:Blood Pressure Monitoring, Ambulatory / Q000379:methods; D001921:Brain / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000473:pathology; D002552:Cerebral Ventricles / Q000473:pathology; D002940:Circadian Rhythm; D015140:Dementia, Vascular / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D012720:Severity of Illness Index