Open AccessA 9‐Year Longitudinal Study of Basilar Artery Diameter
Author(s) -
Takeuchi Mariko,
Miwa Kaori,
Tanaka Makiko,
Zhou Yi,
Todo Kenichi,
Sasaki Tsutomu,
Sakaguchi Manabu,
Kitagawa Kazuo,
Mochizuki Hideki
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
journal of the american heart association
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.494
H-Index - 85
ISSN - 2047-9980
DOI - 10.1161/jaha.118.011154
Subject(s) - medicine , magnetic resonance imaging , hazard ratio , basilar artery , hyperintensity , proportional hazards model , circle of willis , cardiology , confidence interval , cohort , nuclear medicine , radiology
Background Dilatation of the basilar artery ( BA ) has been recognized as a predictor of cardiovascular events ( CVE s). However, it is unclear if the longitudinal change in BA diameter (Δ BA ) is associated with CVE s. Methods and Results In a cohort of Japanese participants with vascular risk factors in an observational study, we evaluated the relationship of Δ BA to CVE s and the time course of the BA diameter. The short axis of the BA diameter was measured at the midpons level in T2‐weighted images. Brain magnetic resonance imaging measurements included cerebral small‐vessel disease, lacunars, and white matter hyperintensities. First, 493 patients were analyzed by the time‐dependent Cox proportional hazards model to evaluate the association between Δ BA and CVE s, with adjustment for age, sex, vascular risk factors, and magnetic resonance imaging parameters. Second, we assessed the longitudinal Δ BA in 164 patients who underwent long‐term follow‐up magnetic resonance imaging, by linear regression analysis. In the mean follow‐up of 8.7 years, 105 patients developed CVE s. A smaller Δ BA was independently associated with the high incidence of CVE s (hazard ratio, 0.36; 95% CI, 0.16–0.78; P =0.010; n=493). After a mean interval of 9.4 years, the average Δ BA was 0.41±0.46 mm (excluding patients with fetal‐type circle of Willis). Progression of BA dilatation was associated with men but inversely associated with initial BA diameter and fetal‐type circle of Willis (n=164). Conclusions BA diameter increased over time (excluding the patients with fetal‐type circle of Willis), whereas Δ BA was inversely associated with the incidence of CVE s.