Study on the Correlation Between Cerebral Vascular Variation and Hypertension

OBJECTIVE To investigate the association between cerebral vascular variation and hypertension in adults. METHODS Using a cross-sectional study, the current and retired employees of Kailuan Group who participated in the physical examination of Kailuan General Hospital and underwent magnetic resonance examination in 2020–2022 were taken as the observation objects, and a total of 1,029 people finally met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The observation objects were divided into 4 groups: no cerebral vascular variation, only vertebral artery hypoplasia (VAH), only incomplete posterior Circle of Willis (ipCoW), and combined variations (VAH + ipCoW). Binary logistic regression models were used to explore the effects of different types of cerebral vascular variation on hypertension. RESULTS The mean age of the study population was 55.2 ± 11.4 years. The percentages in no cerebral vascular variations, VAH only, ipCoW only, and combined variations groups were 21.1%, 11.5%, 46.8%, and 20.6%, respectively. Using hypertension as the dependent variable and cerebral vascular variation type as the independent variable, and adjusting for multiple confounders, the results showed that the presence of both VAH and ipCoW was positively associated with hypertension risk (OR = 2.410, 95% CI = 1.401–4.146). Stratified analysis showed that the association was more pronounced in people younger than 55 (OR = 4.437, 95% CI = 1.891–10.406), whereas no significant association was found in people older than 55 (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS There is a positive correlation between cerebral vascular variation and hypertension, and this association is predominantly observed in the younger population.