The Atherogenic Index of Plasma is Associated With Cerebral Small Vessel Disease: A Cross-Sectional Study

Objective: Recently, the lipid profile of atherogenic dyslipidemia has become important in cerebrovascular diseases. Atherogenic index of plasma (AIP), an index that reflects this lipid profile as a single number, has been proposed, but there are still few related studies in cerebrovascular disease. In this study, we evaluated the relationship between AIP and cerebral small vessel disease (cSVD) in health check-up participants. Methods: We assessed consecutive health check-ups participants between 2006 and 2013. cSVD was measured including the following three subtypes: white matter hyperintensity (WMH), lacuens, and cerebral microbleeds (CMBs). WMH quantitatively measured the volume, and lacunes and CMBs qualitatively evaluated the presence. AIP was calculated according to the following formula based on blood test results: AIP=log [triglyceride (mg/ dL)/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (mg/dL)]. Results: A total of 3,170 participants were evaluated (mean age: 56.5 years, male sex: 53.8%). In multivariable linear regression analysis, AIP (β=0.129, 95% confidence interval [CI]=0.003–0.255) was associated with WMH. Age, hypertension, diabetes, lipid-lowering agents, and intracranial atherosclerosis were also associated with WMH volume. In multivariable logistic regression analysis, AIP (adjusted odds ratio=1.72 1.79, 95% CI=1.03– 2.90) showed close association with lacunes. Age and intracranial atherosclerosis were also related to lacunes. CMBs did not show a statistically significant association with AIP. Conclusion: High AIP was associated with cSVD in health check-up participants. Since this close relationship was only seen in WMH and lacunes, these subtypes may have arisen from a more atherosclerosis-related pathology.