Blood pressure variability and leukoaraiosis amount in cerebral small-vessel disease

Objectives - To analyze the correlation between blood pressure (BP) variability and leukoaraiosis (LA) amount in patients with symptomatic cerebral small-vessel disease. Materials and methods We included 25 hypertensive patients: 13 with Binswanger's disease (BD) and 12 with a first-ever lacunar infarction (LI). Baseline office BP was obtained for 3 consecutive weeks. From a 24-h ambulatory BP monitoring performed 1 week later we obtained average systolic(SBP) and diastolic(DBP) BP for daytime, nighttime and 24-h periods. SBP and DBP variability was defined as the within-subject standard deviation of all readings. A standardized cerebral MR was performed in each patient and an LA score was calculated. Results - No statistically significant correlation was obtained between the LA score and any of the following BP values: 1) Baseline SBP and DBP and 3) 24-h. daytime or nighttime SBP and DBP variability. Conclusion Increased BP variability is not associated with greater amounts of leukoaraiosis.