Abstract 15580: Cerebral Microbleeds Are Associated With High Systolic Arterial Blood Pressure, but Not Arterial Stiffness in Patients With Cardiovascular Disease

Background: Gradient-echo T2*-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is highly sensitive for detecting cerebral microbleeds (CMBs). The presence of CMBs is thought to correlate with anticoagulant therapy and is a marker of future cerebral hemorrhage and cardiovascular mortality. We investigated the possible association of CMBs with systolic blood pressure (BPs) level and arterial stiffness in patients with cardiovascular disease. Methods: In total, we enrolled 278 patients with cardiovascular disease (mean age: 70 ± 11 years, 193 males), who underwent brain MRI as well as systemic screening for premature atherosclerosis, including ankle brachial index, brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity examination (baPWV), and carotid ultrasonography for the measurement of intima-media thickness (IMT). CMBs were coded by researchers blind to clinical details. Based on their mean BPs level, patients were categorized into groups having very low-normal (u003c110 mm Hg), low-normal (110-130 mmHg), moderately high (130-150 mmH...