Diabetes is not protective against the formation of unruptured cerebral aneurysm

• Published in: Clinical neurology and neurosurgery 2021-10, Vol.209, p.106944-106944, Article 106944
• Main Authors: Choi, Hoon Sung, Yoon, Ji Won, Seo, Hyobin, Kang, Kyusik, Kim, Jin Taek
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Age; Age Factors; Aged; Aneurysm; Aneurysms; Angiography; Atherosclerosis; Blood pressure; Brain - diagnostic imaging; cerebral aneurysm; Cerebral Angiography; Diabetes; Diabetes mellitus; Diabetes Mellitus - diagnostic imaging; Fasting; Female; Humans; Hypertension; Intracranial Aneurysm - complications; Intracranial Aneurysm - diagnostic imaging; Magnetic Resonance Angiography; Male; Medical screening; Middle Aged; Neurology; Population; prevalence; risk factor; Risk Factors; Sex Factors; Smoking; Subarachnoid hemorrhage; Trends; Veins & arteries
• ISSN: 0303-8467; 1872-6968
• DOI: 10.1016/j.clineuro.2021.106944

Diabetes appears to decrease the risk of subarachnoid hemorrhage. However, it is not clear whether diabetes decreases the risk of aneurysm formation. The aim of our study to evaluate the risk of unruptured cerebral aneurysm in patients with diabetes mellitus. We used data from participants who underwent brain magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) and laboratory tests at the Healthcare System Gangnam Center of Seoul National University Hospital between January 2010 and December 2013. From the 17,368 participants who underwent brain MRA, we analyzed 16,337 subjects whose diabetes status could be identified. The number of participants with diabetes was 2299 (14.1%). The proportion of participants with cerebral aneurysms was 2.3% in the diabetic group and 2.7% in the non-diabetic group, which was not significantly different (P = 0.225). There were no significant differences in the size, location, and multiplicity of aneurysms between the diabetes and control groups. In multivariate logistic regression, older age showed significant risk effects on cerebral aneurysms, but female sex, hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and smoking did not show significant risk effects. In this study, diabetes did not affect the risk of cerebral aneurysm formation. In addition, neither smoking, nor hypertension was a significant risk factor for unruptured cerebral aneurysms. The lack of association between cerebral aneurysm and the traditional risk factors for subarachnoid hemorrhage requires further study. Risk factors for cerebral aneurysm development and those for cerebral aneurysm rupture may be different. •Diabetes is known to be a protective factor against rupture of cerebral aneurysm.•Of the 16,337 subjects, 376 (2.3%) had unruptured cerebral aneurysms on magnetic resonance angiography.•Diabetes did not affect the risk of unruptured cerebral aneurysm.•Only old age was associated with increased cerebral aneurysm risk.