The association between cholesterol levels and brachial/aortic augmentation index versus cognitive status in patients with cardiovascular risk factors

Cardiovascular pathology appears to have a major impact in cognitive decline, and early identification and correction of cardiovascular morbidity could have a major protective impact on cognitive functioning. However, it is not clear how the risk factors for vascular disease can also be risk factors for a general cognitive decline. Regarding cholesterol, its implications in cognitive decline are not very well understood, considering that a high level of cholesterol has been associated with both an increased and decreased risk of dementia. In the present context, we decided to study correlations between cholesterol concentration and the various subdomains of some main psychometric tests, such as MMSE (Mini-Mental State Examination) and MoCA (The Montreal Cognitive Assessment), as well as some measurements for systemic arterial stiffness (brachial and aortic augmentation index) and how they correlate with the aforementioned psychometric parameters. Our results provide additional evidence for a correlation between cholesterol levels and cognitive subdomains (with special focus on orientation, attention, recent memory and long-term memory). Additionally, a significant correlation was found between the brachial and aortic augmentation index and the results of both MMSE and MOCA tests

Establishing echocardiographic and arterial stiffness markers as predictors of cognitive decline

Different factors seem to contribute to cognitive impairment in the elderly population. It is unclear which cardiovascular risk factors are the most significant contributors to cognitive decline. Although there is some recent neuropathological evidence that vascular lesions and atherosclerotic occlusion of the cerebral arteries may unmask or strengthen the clinical expression of cognitive decline and dementia, there is still little knowledge about the relevance of echocardiographic and arterial stiffness markers as predictors for cognitive decline. In the present study we decided to investigate whether and how the severity of cognitive impairment could be related to cerebral hemodynamic impairment, as well as the possible contribution of the alterations in cerebral hemodynamics (as expressed through some echocardiographic and arterial stiffness markers) to the progression of cognitive decline in a group of patients with cognitive impairments, as compared to a control group with no cognitive deficits. The main finding of our study indicated significant differences in terms of echocardiographic and arterial stiffness markers between the two groups, one composed of patients with cognitive impairment and one with normal-cognitive patients, which suggests an association between these parameters and poor cognitive function. While these functional changes of the cerebral vessel functions could have an important role in the pathogenesis of dementia, the identification of simple and accurate measures that are acceptable to patients and can serve as indicators of current cognitive impairment or the risk of cognitive decline could be very helpful in developing long-term preventive and therapeutic treatments for these patients