[Age features of pure leukoaraiosis in non-demented outpatients].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the aging features of pure leukoaraiosis (LA) in non-demented outpatients.


METHODS
The outpatients with age older than 40 years, without taking cholesterol lowering and B vitamin medications and with mini-mental state examination more than 24 scores were selected from July 2008 to December. 2009 in Beijing Tiantan Hospital. LA was defined with MRI. Patients were classified into two groups i.e. LA group consisting of 138 patients with leukoaraiosis but without lacunar lesions and cortical infarcts and a control group consisting of 124 patients without any lesion in brain. Age and other vascular risk factors were also investigated.


RESULTS
Age of the patients in the LA group was significantly higher than that in the control group (P<0.001). Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that age was independently associated with pure LA (OR 1.080, 95%CI 1.042-1.120), after adjusting sex, vascular risk factors and presence of atherosclerosis in cervical arteries. If age-stratification was further considered, logistic regression analysis showed that OR (95%CI) for LA was 2.693 (95%CI 1.103-6.575) in a 60-69 year group and 13.527 (95%CI 3.319-55.131) in a ≥70 year group as compared with a 40-49 year group.


CONCLUSIONS
Age is a determining risk factor for pure LA and patients with age older than 60 years are at high risk of LA.
Yu
Xue-ying
XY
Department of Neurology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100050, China.
Wang
Gui-hong
GH
Guan
Xiao-ting
XT
Liu
Yun
Y
Wang
Su-xiang
SX
Liu
Zhi-zhong
ZZ
Wang
Yong-jun
YJ
D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D049292:Leukoaraiosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010045:Outpatients; D012307:Risk Factors