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Saturday, Feb 22, 2025
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66pc of persons aged 40 to 75 suffer from cerebral small vessel disease
Two-thirds of people aged 40 to 75 suffer from cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD), a study by Chinese University's medical school found.
The Division of Neurology at CUHK’s medical school conducted brain health evaluations of 550 citizens from the mentioned age group through a community screening programme between 2019 and 2021. It revealed that two-thirds of participants have CSVD, which is a leading cause of stroke and dementia.
All of the participants had no history of brain disorders. Among them, 55 percent showed subclinical CSVD, 11 percent harbored moderate to severe degree, and 22 percent of people were detected with cerebral microbleeds.
People suffering from CSVD might not find obvious symptoms at the initial stage.
However, “CSVD is likely irreversible so early prevention plays an important role," said Thomas Leung Wai-hong, head of the division of neurology at CU Medicine and President of the Hong Kong Neurological Society, who led the research team.
The team said high blood pressure is a major CSVD risk factor.
The team has therefore screened more than 2,150 citizens, only 34 percent of citizens ‘blood pressure were within the normal range, which is less than 120/80 mmHg according to the World Health Organization. 28 percent has systolic blood pressure over 140 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure over 90 mmHg, although only some 40 percent among them were identified with hypertension before.
Apart from high blood pressure, high blood glucose and high cholesterol are also common risk factors, which are seldom discovered at the early stage.
Leung said, “Citizens should have regular blood pressure check-ups and get screened for blood glucose and lipid levels periodically,” He added that the frequency of checks-up should depend on their age, family history, and the presence of other risk factors.
The number of Hongkongers aged 65 and over is expected to double from 2019 to 2039, according to the Census and Statistics Department. The CSVD can cause walking problems and urinary incontinence as it progresses, which affect patients’ functioning cognition and living independence.
According to an international study, people with CSVD have a two to three times higher risk of suffering a stroke, and the probability of them developing dementia are doubled.
The good news is that a healthy lifestyle may reduce the risk factors of developing CSVD, including quitting smoking, reducing excessive alcohol consumption, and maintaining a healthy weight with a Body Mass Index (BMI) lower than 25.
“The public should proactively adopt a healthy lifestyle to protect themselves against cognitive decline and to maintain vascular and brain health, in order to prevent stroke and dementia,” said Bonaventure Ip Yiu-ming, assistant professor of the department of medicine and therapeutics at CU medicine.
All of the participants had no history of brain disorders. Among them, 55 percent showed subclinical CSVD, 11 percent harbored moderate to severe degree, and 22 percent of people were detected with cerebral microbleeds.
People suffering from CSVD might not find obvious symptoms at the initial stage.
However, “CSVD is likely irreversible so early prevention plays an important role," said Thomas Leung Wai-hong, head of the division of neurology at CU Medicine and President of the Hong Kong Neurological Society, who led the research team.
The team said high blood pressure is a major CSVD risk factor.
The team has therefore screened more than 2,150 citizens, only 34 percent of citizens ‘blood pressure were within the normal range, which is less than 120/80 mmHg according to the World Health Organization. 28 percent has systolic blood pressure over 140 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure over 90 mmHg, although only some 40 percent among them were identified with hypertension before.
Apart from high blood pressure, high blood glucose and high cholesterol are also common risk factors, which are seldom discovered at the early stage.
Leung said, “Citizens should have regular blood pressure check-ups and get screened for blood glucose and lipid levels periodically,” He added that the frequency of checks-up should depend on their age, family history, and the presence of other risk factors.
The number of Hongkongers aged 65 and over is expected to double from 2019 to 2039, according to the Census and Statistics Department. The CSVD can cause walking problems and urinary incontinence as it progresses, which affect patients’ functioning cognition and living independence.
According to an international study, people with CSVD have a two to three times higher risk of suffering a stroke, and the probability of them developing dementia are doubled.
The good news is that a healthy lifestyle may reduce the risk factors of developing CSVD, including quitting smoking, reducing excessive alcohol consumption, and maintaining a healthy weight with a Body Mass Index (BMI) lower than 25.
“The public should proactively adopt a healthy lifestyle to protect themselves against cognitive decline and to maintain vascular and brain health, in order to prevent stroke and dementia,” said Bonaventure Ip Yiu-ming, assistant professor of the department of medicine and therapeutics at CU medicine.
