Study on Integration of Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Diseases

To explore the pathogenesis of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases through study on cardio-cerebral integration based on multimodal imaging technology, and clinical evaluation of its secondary diseases and intervention treatment.

Cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases are leading causes of death and disability worldwide. Atherosclerosis of the large arteries of the brain and the heart has received extensive attention and in-depth research. By contrast, the epidemiology of small-vessel disease (SVD) of the brain and heart is less well established.

The vascular anatomy of the heart and brain is similar in that conduit arteries are distributed on the surface of these organs with tissue perfusion achieved through deep penetrating arteries. In the heart, SVD involves the deep penetrating coronary arterioles and the subendocardial plexus of microvessels. The clinical sequelae of SVD in the heart include stable and acute coronary syndromes and heart failure in the longer term. SVD in the brain mainly involves small subcortical arterioles. If a vascular occlusion occurs, small lacunar lesions can occur, while long-term chronic ischemia caused by SVD may manifest as vascular cognitive impairment. There is a close relationship between cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, and cardiovascular risk factors are related to the etiology of cerebral SVD. However, whether this relationship has a causal remains unclear.

Thus, the study of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular integration based on multimodal imaging technology has important value for the diagnosis, efficacy evaluation, and prognosis judgment of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.