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• CSVD is highly prevalent in geriatric outpatients. • CSVD is associated with increased mortality risk. • This association is independent of important confounders. • This association is robust amongst subgroups. Cerebral Small-Vessel Disease (CSVD) is a complex condition affecting the brain's vascular network, linked to cognitive and physical decline, cerebrovascular disease, and death. This study assesses the relationship between CSVD (composite and individual features) and all-cause mortality in a large cohort of geriatric outpatients. Data from 1305 geriatric outpatients (mean age 78 ± 7; 51 % female) in the Amsterdam Ageing cohort were analysed. CSVD presence was based on brain imaging (MRI or CT), defined by a Fazekas score ≥ 2, presence of ≥1 lacunes, or (in MRI) ≥ 3 microbleeds. Mortality data (February 2016 - January 2024) was sourced from the Dutch Municipality Register. The relationship between CSVD and all-cause mortality was evaluated using a Cox proportional-hazards model, adjusting for key confounders. At baseline, 835 (64 %) of the 1305 patients had CSVD. During a median follow-up of 3.1 years (IQR 1.6–4.6 years), all-cause mortality was 40 % (333 patients) in the CSVD group and 26 % (121 patients) in the non-CSVD group, corresponding with incidence rates of 137 and 78 per 1000 patient-years, respectively. The age- and sex-adjusted hazard ratio for mortality in the CSVD group was 1.6 (95 % CI: 1.3–2.0). This association remained significant after adjusting for cardiovascular disease and its risk factors, physical function (gait speed), and cognitive function (MMSE). Radiographic CSVD presence is prevalent and its integration into daily care is important as it is independently linked to increased all-cause mortality in geriatric outpatients. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cerebral microbleeds (CMBs) are small cerebrovascular lesions. More and more CMBs have been found in patients with ischemic stroke, dementia, and cerebral amyloid angiopathy, as well as some normal elderly populations. The objective of this study is to summarize the main risk factor, impairment, and therapy of CMBs.Methods: We searched and scanned all the literature with the keyword "cerebral microbleeds" or "CMBs" in the database of PubMed and Elsevier.Results: The risks factors for CMBs are complicated, including those that cause large-vessel disease, such as hypertension and old age, and those that cause small-vessel disease, such as amyloid deposits, endothelial lesions, and atrial fibrillation. Moreover, drugs and therapies used to treat cerebrovascular diseases such as statin, intravenous thrombolysis, and coumarin may also increase risk of CMBs. The relationship between antiplatelet treatment and CMBs is now unclear. Gene polymorphisms have been considered to be associated with CMBs. Gene mutations involving collagen type IV alpha 1 and collagen type IV alpha 2, sortilin-related receptor gene, forkhead box C1, and paired-like homeodomain 2 were reported to affect CMBs with the modification of corresponding proteins and functions. The cognition impairment caused by CMBs draws great attention. White matter deterioration is the possible answer. However, different studies could not reach the same conclusion on the damage of cognition of CMBs.Conclusions: Further research is needed to provide effectual therapeutic proposals for CMBs, which differ from the treatment for large-artery disease and dementia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]