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60/100

✓ Peer-reviewed alzhub usefulness score 60 out of 100. Disparities

Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models

Background Cardiovascular risk factors are associated with cognitive decline and dementia. Magnetic resonance imaging provides sensitive measurement of brain morphology and vascular brain injury. However, associations of risk factors with brain magnetic resonance imaging findings have largely been studied in White participants. We investigated associations of race, ethnicity, and cardiovascular risk factors with brain morphology and white matter (WM) injury in a diverse population. Methods and Results In the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis, measures were made in 2018 to 2019 of total brain volume, gray matter and WM volume, and WM injury, including WM hyperintensity volume and WM fractional anisotropy. We assessed cross-sectional associations of race and ethnicity and of cardiovascular risk factors with magnetic resonance imaging measures. Magnetic resonance imaging data were complete in 1036 participants; 25% Black, 15% Chinese-American, 19% Hispanic, and 41% White. Mean (SD) age was 72 (8) years and 53% were women. Although WM injury was greater in Black than in White participants in a minimally adjusted model, additional adjustment for cardiovascular risk factors and socioeconomic status each attenuated this association, rendering it nonsignificant. Overall, greater average WM hyperintensity volume was associated with older age and current smoking (69% greater vs never smoking); lower fractional anisotropy was additionally associated with higher diastolic blood pressure, use of antihypertensive medication, and diabetes. Conclusions We found no statistically significant difference in measures of WM injury by race and ethnicity after adjustment for cardiovascular risk factors and socioeconomic status. In all racial and ethnic groups, older age, current smoking, hypertension, and diabetes were strongly associated with WM injury.

Key findings

Background Cardiovascular risk factors are associated with cognitive decline and dementia.
Methods and Results In the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis, measures were made in 2018 to 2019 of total brain volume, gray matter and WM volume, and WM injury, including WM hyperintensity volume and WM fractional anisotropy.
Overall, greater average WM hyperintensity volume was associated with older age and current smoking (69% greater vs never smoking); lower fractional anisotropy was additionally associated with higher diastolic blood pressure, use of antihypertensive medication, and diabetes.
Conclusions We found no statistically significant difference in measures of WM injury by race and ethnicity after adjustment for cardiovascular risk factors and socioeconomic status.
In all racial and ethnic groups, older age, current smoking, hypertension, and diabetes were strongly associated with WM injury.

Why it matters

Greater white matter hyperintensity volume was associated with older age and current smoking, and greater white matter injury in black participants became nonsignificant after adjusting for cardiovascular risk factors and socioeconomic status. The study was cross-sectional and looked at brain imaging, not dementia treatment or prevention.

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Study details

Study designcross-sectional
Participants1,036
Evidence strengthLow

How this study scored 60/100

Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a snapshot of people at one point in time. Scored zero for effect reported and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it. We have no data on senior author's track record, so that was left out: it earned 58 of the 96 points we could judge it on, which is 60 out of 100.

Component	Points	Why
Journal tier	7 / 10	Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Journal of the American Heart Association)
Journal's citation record	2 / 4	Journal of the American Heart Association: journal h-index 200 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29)
Study design	4 / 12	A snapshot of people at one point in time
Strength of evidence	1 / 5	Rated “low” in our summary
Peer-review validation	10 / 10	Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal.
How recent	3 / 5	2022 — within 6 year(s) of the newest study here
Sample size	3 / 4	1,036 participants
Effect reported	0 / 3	No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0)
Studied in people	3 / 3	Studied in people (participant count stated)
Randomised / blinded	0 / 2	No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0)
Times cited	4 / 7	Cited 63 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10)
Citations per year	3 / 5	10.5 citations a year over 6 year(s) since 2022
Impact for its field and year	3 / 6	Cited 7.4× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI)
Cited by studies here	2 / 6	Cited by 5 other studies in this library
Still being cited	3 / 4	Cited 50 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex)
Senior author's track record	— / 4	Senior author's record not available — left out of this score
Institution's track record	3 / 3	University of Washington: institution h-index 3,540 (OpenAlex)
Multi-centre collaboration	3 / 3	OpenAlex lists 11 institution(s) in 2 countries
Indexed in PubMed	2 / 2	Indexed in PubMed (PMID 35352569)
Free to read	2 / 2	Free to read
Points	58 / 96	Scored on 19 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 58 of the 96 points we could judge it on is 60 out of 100.
Total	60 / 100	—

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Read the original

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Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris

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APA 7th

Austin, T. R., Nasrallah, I. M., Erus, G., Desiderio, L. M., Chen, L. Y., Greenland, P., et al. (2022). Association of Brain Volumes and White Matter Injury With Race, Ethnicity, and Cardiovascular Risk Factors: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis. Journal of the American Heart Association. https://doi.org/10.1161/jaha.121.023159

Vancouver

Austin TR, Nasrallah IM, Erus G, Desiderio LM, Chen LY, Greenland P, et al. Association of Brain Volumes and White Matter Injury With Race, Ethnicity, and Cardiovascular Risk Factors: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis. Journal of the American Heart Association. 2022. doi:10.1161/jaha.121.023159. PMID: 35352569.

BibTeX

@article{austin2022-35352569,
  author  = {Austin, T. R. and Nasrallah, I. M. and Erus, G. and Desiderio, L. M. and Chen, L. Y. and Greenland, P. and Harding, B. N. and Hughes, T. M. and others},
  title   = {{Association of Brain Volumes and White Matter Injury With Race, Ethnicity, and Cardiovascular Risk Factors: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis}},
  journal = {Journal of the American Heart Association},
  year    = {2022},
  doi     = {10.1161/jaha.121.023159},
  pmid    = {35352569},
  url     = {https://doi.org/10.1161/jaha.121.023159}
}

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