Table 2. WMHs and Cognition evaluation at baseline, 180-day and 300-day.

	RIC group	Control group	p-value	Adjusted p-value
WMHs evaluation
Fazekas scores
180-day	2.53±0.63*	2.86±0.97	0.275	0.089
300-day	2.07±0.25**	2.82±0.86	<0.001	<0.001
Scheltens scores
180-day	12.87±2.33*	15.29±2.84	0.001	<0.001
300-day	11.07±2.15**	16.93±3.42**	<0.001	<0.001
Cognition evaluation
Overall MMSE scores
180-day	27.10±2.95**	24.68±4.95	0.030	0.006
300-day	27.70±2.48***	24.11±4.86	0.001	<0.001
Overall MoCA scores
180-day	26.70±2.65***	23.11±5.02***	<0.001	<0.001
300-day	26.80±2.22***	22.71±4.84***	<0.001	<0.001
Other clinical symptoms
HIT-6 scores
180-day	36 (36–37)	46 (36–48)	<0.001	<0.001
300-day	36 (36–36)	46 (36–48)	<0.001	<0.001
Dizziness, n (%)
180-day	7 (23.3)	18 (64.3)	0.002	0.001
300-day	5 (16.7)	20 (71.4)	<0.001	<0.001
Sleeping disorder, n (%)
180-day	9 (30.0)	15 (53.6)	0.069	0.024
300-day	7 (23.3)	16 (57.1)	0.009	0.003

The discrepancies between the two groups were analyzed through Mann-Whitney U test or Chi-square analysis. Post-treatment vs. pretreatment was processed using Friedman test (*p<0.05, **p<0.01, ***p<0.001). Adjust p-value was adjusted for hypertension, diabetes and hyperlipidemia.