ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Neurol.
Sec. Neurological Biomarkers
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fneur.2025.1512109
This article is part of the Research TopicImpact of nutrition on brain healthView all 3 articles
Association between Cerebral Small Vessel Disease and Malnutrition Risk: A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study
Provisionally accepted
Junyi Liu1,2,3
Jie Lin1,2,3Jieying Zhuang1,2,3Qian Luo1,2,3Huijuan Wang1,2,3Ruiyan Xiao1,2,3Xudong Yang1,2,3
Jiangping Cai1,2,3*- 1Department of Neurology, The First Hospital of Quanzhou Affiliated to Fujian Medical University, Quanzhou, Fujian Province, China
- 2The School of Clinical Medicine, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, China
- 3The Graduate School of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, China
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Malnutrition is associated with increased morbidity and mortality from multiple diseases. However, the relationship between cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) and malnutrition or malnutrition risk remains underexplored. This retrospective study investigated the association between malnutrition risk and CSVD, along with its common imaging markers. A total of 806 participants from a neurology department underwent cranial MRI scans and nutritional assessments. The presence of imaging markers of CSVD, including white matter hyperintensities, lacune, perivascular spaces, and cerebral microbleeds, was evaluated by expert neurologists. Malnutrition risk was assessed using the Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index (GNRI) and Controlling Nutritional Status (CONUT) scores. Logistic regression, subgroup, and interaction analyses were performed to evaluate the associations between malnutrition risk, CSVD, and its common imaging markers. After adjusting for potential confounders, patients at risk of malnutrition, as identified by both the GNRI and CONUT scores, exhibited more severe CSVD and its common imaging markers. Further analyses revealed interactions between GNRI score and smoking, highlighting potential modifying effects on the relationship between malnutrition risk and CSVD. Collectively, malnutrition risk, as assessed by objective nutritional indices, is independently associated with CSVD and its common imaging markers. These results emphasize the importance of addressing malnutrition in the prevention and management of CSVD.
Keywords: Cerebral small vessel disease, Malnutrition risk, Imaging markers, Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index, Controlling nutritional status
Received: 16 Oct 2024; Accepted: 26 May 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Liu, Lin, Zhuang, Luo, Wang, Xiao, Yang and Cai. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Jiangping Cai, Department of Neurology, The First Hospital of Quanzhou Affiliated to Fujian Medical University, Quanzhou, Fujian Province, China
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