The Relationship Between Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Cerebral Small Vessel Disease Assessed by Magnetic Resonance Imaging: A Case-Control Study from a Single Center in Beijing, China

BACKGROUND: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) reportedly share similar risk factors and pathogenesis. However, the relationship between these 2 diseases is not clear. This study aimed to investigate the association between COPD and CSVD. MATERIAL/METHODS: Patients with stable COPD and matched healthy control participants were recruited for this study. Clinical characteristics were collected based on medical history, serological tests, brain magnetic resonance imaging, and pulmonary function tests. Individual CSVD imaging markers (white matter hyperintensities [WMH], enlarged perivascular space [EPVS], and brain atrophy) were assessed to determine their severity. Logistic analysis was used to test the relationship between CSVD markers and COPD. RESULTS: Significant differences in WMH, basal ganglia EPVS (BG-EPVS), and centrum semiovale EPVS (CSO-EPVS) were found between COPD and control groups (P<0.001). Logistic analysis showed that COPD was a risk factor for WMH (odds ratio [OR]=2.467, 95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 1.550–3.927, P<0.001), while it was a protective factor for BG-EPVS (OR=0.391, 95% CI: 0.246–0.621, P<0.001) and CSO-EPVS (OR=0.053, 95% CI: 0.021–0.138, P<0.001). Among patients in the COPD group, duration of COPD was a risk factor for WMH (P<0.001) and BG-EPVS (P=0.047, 0.013, 0.746), while there was no significant correlation between the COPD grade and the severity of WMH and BG-EPVS (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: A significant correlation exists between COPD and imaging markers of CSVD, including WMH, BG-EPVS, and CSO-EPVS. In addition, the severity of WMH and BG-EPVS is positively related to the duration of COPD, suggesting that COPD may be a risk factor for CSVD.