Suffering from Cerebral Small Vessel Disease with and without Metabolic Syndrome

BACKGROUND: Cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) and metabolic syndrome were separately associated with cognitive impairment and depression. However, whether metabolic syndrome adds to cognitive impairment and depression in patients who already have CSVD remained unanswered. OBJECTIVE: The aim of our study was to investigate the association of metabolic syndrome with cognitive impairment and depression in patients with CSVD who have lacunar lesions or white matter hyperintensities. METHODS: This prospective cohort study was conducted at Neurology Clinic, Clinical Center, Kragujevac, Serbia. Main outcomes of the study were cognitive assessment, and assessment of depression among hospitalized patients with or without CSVD. RESULTS: The study included 74 inpatients, 25 of them having lacunary infarctions, 24 with the white matter hyperintensities, and 25 control patients without CSVD. The CSVD was accompanied by impairment of cognition and depression, the patients with lacunary lesions being more cognitively impaired and more depressive than the patients with the white matter hyperintensities. The patients with CSVD who also had metabolic syndrome were more cognitively impaired and depressed than the patients with CSVD alone. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, our study showed that metabolic syndrome is associated with further worsening of already impaired cognition and existing depression in patients with CSVD.