The Relationship Between Intracranial Arterial Stenosis and Glomerular Filtration Rate

Poor renal function is associated with cardiovascular complications attributable to large-vessel diseases such as arterial calcification, heart failure, myocardial infarction, and cardiac mortality. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between renal function and intracranial arterial stenosis (IAS). We analyzed the records of 283 stroke-free Korean adults (≥45 years of age) who underwent brain 3D time-of-flight magnetic resonance angiography as part of their voluntary health check. The presence of stenosis in the basilar artery and in the horizontal portion of the middle cerebral artery was defined as narrowing of the luminal diameter by 25% or more or occlusion on brain magnetic resonance angiography. We estimated the glomerular filtration rate using the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease equation. The subjects were 133 men and 150 women (mean age of 56 ± 7 years). One hundred sixty-six subjects (59 %) had IAS. The serum creatinine concentration in the highest quartile compared with the lowest quartile was associated with increased prevalence of IAS; the eGFR in the upper two quartiles compared with the lowest quartile were associated with decreased prevalence of IAS. The prevalence of subjects with a high eGFR decreased significantly with the severity of IAS. In conclusion, poor renal function is associated with the presence and the degree of IAS in stroke-free Korean adults.