Autopsy study of cerebrovascular disease in Japanese men who lived in Hiroshima, Japan, and Honolulu, Hawaii.

Evidence of cerebrovascular disease at autopsy was compared in 2 groups of men: 186 long-time residents of Hiroshima, Japan, and 253 men of Japanese ancestry long resident in Honolulu, Hawaii. They were 45 to 71 years-of-age at death. Atherosclerosis of the circle of Willis and its major branches, sclerosis of the intraparenchymal arteries and the frequency of cerebral hemorrhage and cerebral infarct were compared in the 2 populations. The Honolulu subjects had significantly more atherosclerosis of the circle of Willis, but less intraparenchymal artery sclerosis and less cerebral infarction. Cerebral hemorrhage was equally frequent in the 2 cities. It was concluded that cerebral infarction is more frequent in Japanese men in Hiroshima than Honolulu, and that men of Japanese ancestry in Honolulu are spared an appreciable risk of cerebral infarction through decreased frequency of intraparenchymal arterial sclerosis despite higher levels of atherosclerosis of large intracranial arteries.