Kamal Farooq, Moqadam Roqaie, Morrison Cassandra, Dadar Mahsa
Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Verdun, Quebec, Canada.
Alzheimers Dement. 2025 Mar;21(3):e70105. doi: 10.1002/alz.70105.
White matter hypointensities (WMHs) are markers of cerebrovascular pathology associated with cognitive decline. Reports of racial and ethnic differences in WMHs have been inconsistent across studies. This study examined whether race and ethnicity influence WMH burden and whether vascular risk factors explain these differences.
Data from the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center included 7132 Whites, 892 Blacks, 283 Asians, and 661 Hispanics. Baseline and longitudinal WMHs were examined using linear regression and mixed-effects models across racial and ethnic groups, controlling for demographics and vascular risk factors.
Adjusting for vascular risk factors reduced WMH burden differences and eliminated differences in temporal regions in Black versus White older adults. For Hispanics, differences became significant after adjusting for vascular risk factors.
Although some racial and ethnic WMH disparities are influenced by vascular risk factors, others persist, highlighting the need for multidimensional approaches when targeting WMHs in diverse populations.
Current research is inconsistent as to whether there are racial differences in white matter hypointensities (WMHs). Blacks exhibit higher WMH burden than Whites, mediated by vascular factors. In Hispanics, WMH differences emerged only after adjusting for vascular risk factors.
白质低信号（WMHs）是与认知衰退相关的脑血管病变标志物。关于WMHs种族和民族差异的报告在各项研究中并不一致。本研究调查了种族和民族是否会影响WMH负担，以及血管危险因素是否能解释这些差异。
来自国家阿尔茨海默病协调中心的数据包括7132名白人、892名黑人、283名亚洲人和661名西班牙裔。使用线性回归和混合效应模型，对不同种族和民族群体的基线和纵向WMHs进行检查，并对人口统计学和血管危险因素进行控制。
调整血管危险因素后，黑人与白人老年人的WMH负担差异减小，颞叶区域的差异消除。对于西班牙裔，调整血管危险因素后差异变得显著。
尽管一些种族和民族的WMH差异受血管危险因素影响，但其他差异仍然存在，这凸显了在针对不同人群的WMHs时采用多维方法的必要性。
目前关于白质低信号（WMHs）是否存在种族差异的研究并不一致。黑人的WMH负担高于白人，由血管因素介导。在西班牙裔中，只有在调整血管危险因素后，WMH差异才出现。
