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Association of Hypertension with Increased Atrophy of Brain Matter in the Elderly
Author(s) -
HATAZAWA JUN,
YAMAGUCHI TATSUO,
ITO MASATOSHI,
YAMAURA HARUTSUGU,
MATSUZAWA TAIJU
Publication year - 1984
Publication title -
journal of the american geriatrics society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.992
H-Index - 232
eISSN - 1532-5415
pISSN - 0002-8614
DOI - 10.1111/j.1532-5415.1984.tb02042.x
Subject(s) - medicine , atrophy , association (psychology) , gerontology , physical medicine and rehabilitation , epistemology , philosophy
Atrophy of brain matter in hypertensive and normotensive subjects was studied by quantitative measurements of brain volume and cranial cavity volume using x‐ray computed tomography. The 123 normotensive subjects ranged in age from 20 to 79 years and were divided into six ten‐year age groups. The 67 hypertensive subjects ranged in age from 40 to 83 years and were divided into four age groups. Values of the brain volume index (BVI), the ratio of brain matter volume to cranial cavity volume, for hypertensives and normotensives in the same age groups were compared. Mean BVI values were significantly lower in hypertensives in the fifth ( P < 0.01), sixth ( P < 0.01), seventh ( P < 0.05) and eighth and ninth decades of life ( P < 0.001). Systemic hypertension, which may induce various diseases in the elderly, had a striking effect on atrophic changes of brain matter in elderly subjects.