Small and dense low-density lipoprotein (sdLDL) elevation may be among the most sensitive early biomarkers for nascent cardiovascular disease. This study, therefore, investigated the association between visit-to-visit changes in sdLDL and cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) progression in older individuals, and the influence of
Between April 2007 and July 2009, 1,143 participants ≥60 years old were recruited from the Shandong region of China, and sdLDL was measured at baseline and at each follow-up visit. White matter hyperintensities (WMHs), lacunes, microbleeds, and enlarged perivascular spaces (EPVSs) were assessed by magnetic resonance imaging. The
During an average follow-up of 86.0 months, 225 participants (19.7%) developed WMH progression, 193 (16.9%) lacune progression, 170 (14.9%) microbleed progression, and 185 (16.2%) EPVS progression. Compared with patients in the first (lowest) tertile of visit-to-visit mean sdLDL, those in the second and third tertiles demonstrated significantly greater risks of WMH progression (53.5 and 105.3% higher), lacune progression (53.3 and 60.8%), microbleed progression (47.2 and 127.6%), and EPVS progression (54.0 and 135.0%) after adjustment for confounders (all adjusted
Large and variable visit-to-visit changes in sdLDL are independent predictors of aggressive CSVD progression, and this association is strongly influenced by