title: The association of metabolic risk factors and silent brain infarctions in healthy Taiwanese.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Silent brain infarctions (SBI) commonly go unnoticed due to the subtlety of their neurological signs. However, there is the risk of subsequent symptomatic stroke and dementia. A better understanding of the risk factors of SBI may help accurately predict those who will require treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  This one-year retrospective study enrolled 199 adult healthy Taiwanese. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the relationships between baseline clinical factors and the presence of SBI during the study period.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifteen (7.5%) healthy subjects had SBI, including 4.9% (5/103) males and 10.4% (10/96) females. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that both mean age and hypertension were independently associated with SBI, such that any increase of one year in mean age increased the SBI rate by 7.3%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In the present study, there is a close relationship between elderly patients and SBI and any increase of one year in mean age increases the SBI rate by 7.3%. Aside from age, hypertension is by far the strongest modifiable risk factor identified to date. Prospective, longitudinal observational studies are warranted to evaluate the relationship between control of hypertension and SBI in this specific population to determine how to prevent subsequent symptomatic stroke.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chang-Hung
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Wei-Che
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Wen-Neng
authors.initials: WN
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Nai-Wen
authors.initials: NW
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: Hung-Chen
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Chi-Ren
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Yu-Jun
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Ben-Chung
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Yu-Jih
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Su
authors.forename: Chia-Te
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Kung
authors.forename: Chun-Chung
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Lui
authors.forename: Lian-Hui
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Cheng-Hsien
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Lu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D020520:Brain Infarction / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008659:Metabolic Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult