Background and purpose: This study examined whether overall cerebral blood flow was associated with known vascular risk factors, including cardiometabolic risk factors that comprise the metabolic syndrome, carotid artery intima-media thickness, and the Framingham risk score.
Methods: Three separate samples were available for analysis. Two comparable samples were combined to form a primary sample of middle-aged participants (n=576; 30-55 years of age) that completed both a risk factor assessment and a resting brain scan. Samples were recruited via mailings and advertisements within an urban area. Quantitative measures of cerebral blood flow were derived from arterial spin-labeled MRI in this sample and in a validation/generalization sample (n=76; 30-55 years).
Results: Cerebral blood flow was inversely associated with cardiometabolic risk indices, that is, associated with lower waist circumference, systolic blood pressure, glucose, and triglyceride and high-density lipoprotein. Moreover, cerebral blood flow was also related to Framingham risk and carotid intima-media thickness. In the validation sample, which used a slightly different brain imaging technique, significant relationships were replicated for cardiometabolic risk, but not for Framingham risk.
Conclusions: Reduced cerebral blood flow seems to be a correlate of vascular disease risk factors associated with cardiometabolic dysregulation. Cerebral blood flow may provide a valid imaging biomarker for cardiovascular risk.
Keywords: Framingham risk; biological markers; brain diseases, metabolic; carotid intima-media thickness; cerebral blood flow; magnetic resonance imaging; neuroimaging; vascular diseases.