Impact of vascular risk factors on 10-year absolute risk of dementia – risk charts for targeted prevention

2020 ◽  
Vol 315 ◽  
pp. e22
Author(s):  
I.J. Rasmussen ◽  
K.L. Rasmussen ◽  
B. Nordestgaard ◽  
A. Tybjærg-Hansen ◽  
R. Frikke-Schmidt
Author(s):  
L.M. Bonner ◽  
A. Hanson ◽  
G. Robinson ◽  
E. Lowy ◽  
S. Craft

Dementia prevention is highly important. Improved control of vascular risk factors has the potential to decrease dementia risk, but may be difficult. Therefore, we developed and piloted a care management protocol for Veterans at risk for dementia. We enrolled 32 Veterans with diabetes and hypertension, at least one of which was poorly controlled, and cognitive impairment. Participants were randomly assigned to a 6-month care management intervention or to usual care. At enrollment, 6-months and 12-months, we assessed cognitive performance, mood, and diabetes and hypertension control. At follow-up, diastolic blood pressure was lower in intervention participants at 6 months (p=.041) and 12 months (p=.022); hemoglobin A1c, global mental status and mood did not differ between groups. Recall of a distractor list (p=.006) and logical memory long-delay recall (p=.036) were better at 6 months in the intervention group (p=.006). Care management may contribute to improved control of dementia risk factors.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Jagan A. Pillai ◽  
Kou Lei ◽  
James Bena ◽  
Lisa Penn ◽  
James B. Leverenz

Background: There is significant interest in understanding the role of modifiable vascular risk factors contributing to dementia risk across age groups. Objective: Risk of dementia onset was assessed in relation to vascular risk factors of hypertension and hypercholesterolemia among cognitively normal APOE ɛ4 carriers and non-carriers. Methods: In a sample of prospectively characterized longitudinal cohort from the National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center database, 9,349 participants met criteria for normal cognition at baseline, had a CDR-Global (CDR-G) score of zero, and had concomitant data on APOE ɛ4 status and medical co-morbidities including histories of hypertension and hypercholesterolemia. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards models adjusted for well-known potential confounders were used to compare dementia onset among APOE ɛ4 carriers and non-carriers by young (≤65 years) and old (>  65 year) age groups. Results: 519 participants converted to dementia within an average follow up of 5.97 years. Among older APOE ɛ4 carriers, hypercholesterolemia was related to lower risk of dementia (HR (95% CI), 0.68 (0.49–0.94), p = 0.02). Among older APOE ɛ4 non-carriers, hypertension was related to higher risk of dementia (HR (95% CI), 1.44 (1.13–1.82), p = 0.003). These results were corroborated among a subset with autopsy data characterizing underlying neuropathology. Among younger participants, vascular risk factors did not impact dementia risk, likely from a lower frequency of vascular and Alzheimer’s as etiologies of dementia among this cohort. Conclusion: A history of hypercholesterolemia related to a lower risk of dementia among older APOE ɛ4 carriers, while hypertension related to a higher risk of dementia among older APOE ɛ4 non-carriers.


2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (41) ◽  
pp. 4024-4033 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ida Juul Rasmussen ◽  
Katrine Laura Rasmussen ◽  
Børge G Nordestgaard ◽  
Anne Tybjærg-Hansen ◽  
Ruth Frikke-Schmidt

Abstract Aims Dementia is a major global challenge for health and social care in aging populations. A third of all dementia may be preventable due to cardiovascular risk factors. Intensive multi-domain intervention trials targeting primarily cardiovascular risk factors show improved cognitive function in people at risk. Such interventions will, however, be expensive to implement in all individuals at risk and will represent unrealistic economic tasks for most societies. Therefore, a risk score identifying high-risk individuals is warranted. Methods and results In 61 664 individuals from two prospective cohorts of the Danish general population, we generated 10-year absolute risk scores for all-cause dementia from cardiovascular risk factors and genetics. In both sexes, 10-year absolute risk of all-cause dementia increased with increasing age, number of apolipoprotein E (APOE) ɛ4 alleles, number of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) risk alleles, and cardiovascular risk factors. The highest 10-year absolute risks of all-cause dementia seen in smoking women with diabetes, low education, APOE ɛ44 genotype, and 22–31 GWAS risk alleles were 6%, 23%, 48%, and 66% in those aged 50–59, 60–69, 70–79, and 80–100, respectively. Corresponding values for men were 5%, 19%, 42%, and 60%, respectively. Conclusion Ten-year absolute risk of all-cause dementia increased with age, APOE ɛ4 alleles, GWAS risk alleles, diabetes, low education, and smoking in both women and men. Ten-year absolute risk charts for dementia will facilitate identification of high-risk individuals, those who likely will benefit the most from an early intervention against cardiovascular risk factors.


2012 ◽  
Vol 8 (4S_Part_9) ◽  
pp. P323-P324
Author(s):  
Lieza Exalto ◽  
Charles Quesenberry ◽  
Geert Jan Biessels ◽  
Jufen Zhou ◽  
Rachel Whitmer

Neurology ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 90 (3) ◽  
pp. e206-e213 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nina Kemppainen ◽  
Jarkko Johansson ◽  
Jarmo Teuho ◽  
Riitta Parkkola ◽  
Juho Joutsa ◽  
...  

ObjectiveTo investigate brain amyloid pathology in a dementia-risk population defined as cardiovascular risk factors, aging, and dementia risk (CAIDE) score of at least 6 but with normal cognition and to examine associations between brain amyloid load and cognitive performance and vascular risk factors.MethodsA subgroup of 48 individuals from the Finnish Geriatric Intervention Study to Prevent Cognitive Impairment and Disability (FINGER) main study participated in brain11C-Pittsburgh compound B (PiB)-PET imaging, brain MRI, and neuropsychological assessment at the beginning of the study. Lifestyle/vascular risk factors were determined as body mass index, blood pressure, total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and glucose homeostasis model assessment. White matter lesions were visually rated from MRIs by a semiquantitative Fazekas score.ResultsTwenty participants (42%) had a positive PiB-PET on visual analysis. The PiB-positive group performed worse in executive functioning tests, included more participants withAPOEε4 allele (50%), and showed slightly better glucose homeostasis compared to PiB-negative participants. PiB-positive and -negative participants did not differ significantly in other cognitive domain scores or other vascular risk factors. There was no significant difference in Fazekas score between the PiB groups.ConclusionsThe high percentage of PiB-positive participants provides evidence of a successful recruitment process of the at-risk population in the main FINGER intervention trial. The results suggest a possible association between early brain amyloid accumulation and decline in executive functions.APOEε4 was clearly associated with amyloid positivity, but no other risk factor was found to be associated with positive PiB-PET.


Author(s):  
Victoria J. Williams ◽  
Steven E. Arnold ◽  
David H. Salat

Throughout the lifespan, common variations in systemic health and illness contribute to alterations in vasculature structure and function throughout the body, significantly increasing risk for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease (CVD). CVD is a prevalent cause of mortality in late life; it also promotes brain alterations, contributing to cognitive decline and, when severe, vascular dementia. Even prior to diseased states, individual variation in CVD risk is associated with structural and functional brain alterations. Yet, how cumulative asymptomatic alterations in vessel structure and function contribute to more subtle changes in brain tissue integrity and function that emerge in late life is unclear. Finally, vascular risk factors are associated with the clinical progression of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD); however, recent theory posits that vascular degeneration may serve a contributory role in these conditions. This chapter reviews how lifespan changes in vascular health contribute to degenerative changes in neural tissue and the subsequent development of cognitive impairment and/or vascular dementia. It first discusses associations between vascular risk factors and cognition and also how declining vascular health may lead to cognitive impairment and dementia. Next, it identifies basic aspects of cerebrovascular anatomy and physiology sustaining tissue health and discusses how vulnerabilities of this system contribute to neurodegenerative changes. Finally, it reviews evidence of vascular contributions to AD and presents ideas for future research to better understand the full spectrum of cerebrovascular contributions to brain aging, cognitive decline, and dementia.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Elżbieta Krytkowska ◽  
Aleksandra Grabowicz ◽  
Katarzyna Mozolewska-Piotrowska ◽  
Zofia Ulańczyk ◽  
Krzysztof Safranow ◽  
...  

AbstractDisturbances in choroidal microcirculation may lead to the onset and progression of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). We aimed to assess changes in the choroidal volume and thickness in the macular region in AMD eyes and to investigate whether coexisting vascular risk factors alter choroidal status. We enrolled 354 AMD patients (175 dry, 179 wet AMD) and 121 healthy controls. All participants underwent a complete ophthalmologic examination and assessment of choroidal thickness and volume. A multivariate analysis adjusted for age, sex, and smoking status revealed that wet AMD was an independent factor associated with higher average thickness of the central ring area (ATC) and average volume of the central ring area (AVC) and lower choroidal vascularity index (CVI) compared to controls (β =  + 0.18, p = 0.0007, β =  + 0.18, p = 0.0008, respectively) and to dry AMD (β =  + 0.17, p = 0.00003 for both ATC and AVC and β =  − 0.30 p < 0.0001 for CVI). ATC, AVC and average volume (AV) were lower in AMD patients with hypertension and ischaemic heart disease (IHD). The duration of hypertension was inversely correlated with ATC, AVC and AV (Rs =  − 0.13, p < 0.05; Rs =  − 0.12; p < 0.05, Rs =  − 0.12; p < 0.05, respectively) while IHD duration negatively correlated with AV (Rs =  − 0.15, p < 0.05). No such associations were observed in the control group. Our findings show that the choroidal vascular system in eyes with AMD is much more susceptible to damage in the presence than in the absence of systemic vascular disease.


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