title: Sex differences in the risk profile and male predominance in silent brain infarction in community-dwelling elderly subjects: the Sefuri brain MRI study.
abstract: Although brain infarction is more common in men, the male predominance of silent brain infarction (SBI) was inconsistent in the earlier studies. This study was to examine the relationship between sex differences in the risk profile and SBI. We conducted a population-based, cross-sectional analysis of cardiovascular risk factors and SBI on MRI. We asked all the female participants about the age at natural menopause and parity. SBI was detected in 77 (11.3%) of 680 participants (266 men and 414 women) with a mean age of 64.5 (range 40-93) years. In the logistic analysis, age (odds ratio (OR)=2.760/10 years, 95% confidence interval (CI)=2.037-3.738), hypertension (OR=3.465, 95% CI=1.991-6.031), alcohol intake (OR=2.494, 95% CI=1.392-4.466) and smoking (OR=2.302, 95% CI=1.161-4.565) were significant factors concerning SBI. Although SBI was more prevalent among men, this sex difference disappeared on the multivariate model after adjustment for other confounders. In 215 women aged 60 years or older, age at natural menopause, early menopause, duration of menopause, number of children and age at the last parity were not significantly associated with SBI after adjustment for age. Hypertension and age were considered to be the major risk factors for SBI in community-dwelling people. Male predominance in SBI was largely due to higher prevalence of alcohol habit and smoking in men than in women in our population.
authors.affiliation: Center for Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, National Hospital Organization Hizen Psychiatric Center, Saga 842-0192, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Takashima
authors.forename: Yoshikazu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Miwa
authors.forename: Takahiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mori
authors.forename: Manabu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hashimoto
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Uchino
authors.forename: Takefumi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yuzuriha
authors.forename: Toshiyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sasaguri
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yao
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000453:epidemiology; D020520:Brain Infarction / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012306:Risk; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000453:epidemiology