Prevalence and the Comorbidity of Silent Brain Infarction, Chronic Kidney Disease and Cerebrovascular Risk Factors in Community in Community

Asymptomatic Silent brain infarcts (SBI) are frequently found by the images of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), a non-invasive imaging technology, in health-like adults, especially of elderly persons. SBI is the possible risk factor of further transient ischemic attack (TIA), stroke, vascular dementia or cognition decline. The prevalence of SBI ranged from 5% in Korea to 30% in USA, varied by races. Although no study focuses SBI-related topic in Taiwan, some studies in other countries have reported that age and high blood pressures are important factors of SBI. However, few study paid the attention on the association between SBI and hyperglycemia or hyperlipidemia. In addition, some studies reported the higher SBI prevalence in hemodialysis patients, however, less was in persons with chronic kidney disease. The intensity of each cerebrovascular risk factors, such as hypertension, hyperglycemia or hyperlipidemia, as well as the co-morbidity of such factors in SBI patients is different from that in ischemic stroke patients, reflecting the differential key role in etiology and patho-physiology of SBI. In NSC 2008 project, we are going to follow an origin population to collect various information and to examine MRI. These subjects were enrolled from 2003 to 2005 as baseline. We except to include 370-390 participants still summer, 2009. In this study, we want to increase the sample size. More administrative units (Li) will be sampled, and around 1000 participants will be recruited in the same community. We will collect the basic characteristics from interview, height, weight, waist and hip circumference, blood sample, urine sample and MRI image data. SBI will be identified by neurologist. Expectantly, 1400 subjects will be included. We aim to estimate the age-specific & gender-specific prevalence of SBI in a general population, and to investigate the association between SBI and chronic kidney disease (5 stages), hypertension, hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia, or their co-morbidity.