White matter hyperintensities are an independent predictor of cognitive decline 3 years following first-ever stroke—results from the PROSCIS-B study

BACKGROUND: White matter hyperintensities (WMH) are the result of cerebral small vessel disease and may increase the risk of cognitive impairment (CI), recurrent stroke, and depression. We aimed to explore the association between selected cerebrovascular risk factors (CVRF) and WMH load as well as the effect of increased WMH burden on recurrent vascular events, CI, and depression in first-ever ischemic stroke patients. METHODS: 431 from the PROSpective Cohort with Incident Stroke (PROSCIS) were included; Age-Related White Matter Changes (ARWMC) score was used to assess WMH burden on FLAIR. The presence of CVRF (defined via blood pressure, body-mass-index, and serological markers of kidney dysfunction, diabetes mellitus, and hyperlipoproteinemia) was categorized into normal, borderline, and pathological profiles based on commonly used clinical definitions. The primary outcomes included recurrent vascular events (combined endpoint of recurrent stroke, myocardial infarction and/or death), CI 3 years post-stroke, and depression 1-year post-stroke. RESULTS: There was no clear association between CVRF profiles and WMH burden. High WMH lesion load (ARWMC score ≥ 10) was found to be associated with CI (adjusted OR 1.05 [95% CI 1.00–1.11]; p < 0.02) in a mixed-model analysis. Kaplan–Meier survival analysis showed a visible increase in the risk of recurrent vascular events following stroke; however, after adjustment, the risk was non-significant (HR 1.5 [95% CI 0.76–3]; p = 0.18). WMH burden was not associated with depression 1-year post stroke (adjusted OR 0.72 [95% CI 0.31–1.64]; p = 0.44). CONCLUSION: Higher WMH burden was associated with a significant decline in cognition 3 years post-stroke in this cohort of first-ever stroke patients. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00415-022-11481-5.