Small Vessel Disease

Definition: Small vessel disease is a condition in which the small arteries in the heart become narrowed. Small vessel disease causes signs and symptoms of heart disease, such as chest pain (angina). Small vessel disease is sometimes called coronary microvascular disease or small vessel heart disease. It's usually diagnosed after a doctor checks for blockages in the main arteries of the heart but finds little or no narrowing in the large vessels, even though your symptoms persist.

Symptoms: Chest pain, squeezing or discomfort, Chest pain associated with discomfort in your left arm or jaw, Chest pain that worsens with daily activities and at times of emotional stress, Neck, shoulder, upper back or abdominal discomfort, Shortness of breath, Unusual fatigue, A loss of energy, Trouble sleeping.

Statistics: Depressive symptoms occurred in 10.1% of the participants. The association for a greater onset of depressive symptoms was significant for participants with 1 standard deviation increase in white matter hyperintensity volume over time, new subcortical infarcts, new Virchow-Robin spaces, 1 standard deviation lower total brain volume at baseline, and 1 standard deviation decreased total brain volume over time, after adjustments for cognitive function and sociodemographic and cardiovascular factors. Results were qualitatively similar when change in the Geriatric Depression Scale score over time was used as the outcome instead of incident depressive symptoms.