title: Red Blood Cell Distribution Width Is Associated with Severity of Leukoaraiosis.
abstract: Red blood cell distribution width (RDW) is one of the routine hematologic parameters reported in the complete blood count test, which has been recognized as strong prognostic marker for various medical conditions, especially cardiovascular disease. We evaluated that RDW was also associated with the leukoaraiosis; common radiological finding of brain and that has been strongly associated with risk of stroke and dementia. In the present study, we included 1006 non-stroke individuals who underwent brain MRI and routine complete blood count test including RDW. Fazekas scale was used to measure the severity of leukoaraiosis based on fluid-attenuated inversion recovery image, and the severity was dichotomized to mild-degree (Fazekas scale: 0-1) and severe-degree leukoaraiosis (Fazekas scale: 2-3). Univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were constructed to evaluate independent risk factor for severe-degree of leukoaraiosis. Mean age of 1006 subjects was 64.34 ± 9.11 year, and mean of RDW was 12.97 ± 0.86%. The severe-degree of leukoaraiosis (Fazekas scale ≥ 2) was found in 28.83%. In the multivariate logistic regression, 4th quartile of RDW (> 13.3%) were significantly associated with the presence of severe-degree of leukoaraiosis (adjusted odds ratio, 1.87; 95% confidence interval, 1.20-2.92) compared to the 1st quartile of RDW (< 12.5%). The significance was not changed after adjustments for hemoglobin and other hematologic indices. These findings suggest that RDW is independently associated with severity of leukoaraiosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, CHA Bundang Medical Center, CHA University, Seongnam, South Korea.
authors.forename: Han-Bin
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, CHA Bundang Medical Center, CHA University, Seongnam, South Korea.
authors.forename: Jinkwon
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, CHA Bundang Medical Center, CHA University, Seongnam, South Korea.
authors.forename: Seung-Hun
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, CHA Bundang Medical Center, CHA University, Seongnam, South Korea.
authors.forename: Sang-Heum
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, CHA Bundang Medical Center, CHA University, Seongnam, South Korea.
authors.forename: Hyun-Sook
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, CHA Bundang Medical Center, CHA University, Seongnam, South Korea.
authors.forename: Won-Chan
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Institute for Bio-Medical Convergence, College of Medicine, Catholic Kwandong University, Gangneung-si, Republic of Korea.|Catholic Kwandong University International St. Mary's Hospital, Incheon Metropolitan City, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Soonhag
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, CHA Bundang Medical Center, CHA University, Seongnam, South Korea.
authors.forename: Ok-Joon
authors.initials: OJ
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015897:Comorbidity; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000453:epidemiology; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology; D004909:Erythrocyte Indices; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology; D049292:Leukoaraiosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D059906:Neuroimaging; D011859:Radiography; D056910:Republic of Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology