Prevalence and risk factors for cerebral microbleeds in elderly Chinese patients with arteriosclerotic cardiovascular diseases: A single-center study

People with arteriosclerotic cardiovascular diseases (ASCVD) frequently use antithrombotic agents and statins. The objective of the study was to explore the prevalence and risk factors of cerebral microbleeds (CMBs) in elderly (≥ 65 years old) Chinese people with ASCVD.We prospectively included 755 eligible participants with complete MRI data, and CMBs were discerned on the SWI sequence. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to analyze risk factors associated with CMBs.The average age was 74.9 ± 9.5 years, and the prevalence of CMBs was 37.9% (286/755). Of those with CMBs, 65.0% (186/286) had strictly lobar CMBs, 35.0% (100/286) had deep or infratentorial CMBs with or without lobar CMBs. We divided CMBs into two groups according to their locations, lobar CMBs group (strictly lobar CMBs) and deep CMBs group (with or without lobar CMBs). Age per 10 years (odds ratio (OR) 1.42, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.17-1.72, p < 0.001), statin use (OR 1.54, 95% CI 1.05-2.26, p = 0.03), and lacunes (OR 1.70, 95% CI 1.09-2.68, p = 0.02) were associated with any CMBs. Age per 10 years (OR 1.33, 95% CI 1.10-1.63, p < 0.001), statin use (OR 1.67, 95% CI 1.12-2.50, p = 0.01), and white matter hyperintensities (OR 1.71, 95% CI 1.17-2.51, p < 0.01) were associated with lobar CMBs. Only lacunes were associated with deep CMBs (OR 3.29, 95% CI 1.85-5.87, p < 0.001).In elderly people with risk factors of ASCVD, antithrombotic drug use was not associated with any CMBs, lobar CMBs, or deep CMBs. Statin use was correlated with lobar CMBs but not deep CMBs.