Aortic Stiffness, Increased White Matter Free Water, and Altered Microstructural Integrity

Background and Purpose— Previous reports from the Framingham Heart Study have identified cross-sectional associations of arterial stiffness, as reflected by carotid–femoral pulse wave velocity (CFPWV) and systolic blood pressure with vascular brain injury. The purpose of this study is to examine free water (FW), fractional anisotropy (FA), and white matter hyperintensities (WMH) in relation to arterial stiffness among subjects of the Framingham...