scholarly journals Impact of Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Adolescence, Young Adulthood, and Midlife on Late-life Cognition: Study of Healthy Aging in African Americans (STAR)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristen M George ◽  
Paola Gilsanz ◽  
Rachel L Peterson ◽  
Lisa L Barnes ◽  
Charles S DeCarli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Executive Function ◽  
Cardiovascular Risk ◽  
African Americans ◽  
Episodic Memory ◽  
Young Adulthood ◽  
Healthy Aging ◽  
Black Americans ◽  
Late Life ◽  
Verbal Episodic Memory

Abstract Background Midlife cardiovascular risk factors (CVRF) increase risk of dementia. Black Americans experience an elevated prevalence of CVRF and dementia. However, little is known of how CVRF prior to midlife affect late-life cognition. We examined CVRF in adolescence, young adulthood, and midlife with late-life cognition in The Study of Healthy Aging in African Americans (STAR). Methods STAR assesses cognitive aging among 764 Black Americans ages ≥50 (mean age=69;SD=9;range 53-95). Participants’ body mass index, blood pressure, glucose, and total cholesterol were collected during Multiphasic Health Check-ups (MHC;1964-1985). At STAR baseline (2018-2019), executive function, verbal episodic memory, and semantic memory were measured using the Spanish and English Neuropsychological Assessment Scales. Linear regression models examined associations between CVRF and cognition adjusting for demographics and years since MHC. Results At MHC, 36% of participants had 1 CVRF and 26% had ≥2. Twenty-two percent of participants were adolescents (ages:12-20), 62% young adults (ages:21-34), and 16% midlife adults (ages:35-56). Overweight/obesity was not associated with cognition. Hypertension was associated with worse executive function [β(95%CI):-0.14(-0.28,-0.0003)] and verbal episodic memory [β(95%CI):-0.22(-0.37,-0.07)] compared to normotension. Diabetes was associated with worse executive function [β(95%CI):-0.43(-0.83,-0.03)]. Having ≥2 CVRF (versus 0) was associated with worse executive function [β(95%CI):-0.19(-0.34,-0.03)] and verbal episodic memory [β(95%CI):-0.25(-0.41,-0.08)]. Adolescents with hypertension had lower late-life executive function compared to normotensive adolescents [β(95%CI):-0.39(-0.67,-0.11)]. Young adulthood hypertension [β(95%CI):-0.29(-0.49,-0.09)] and midlife hyperlipidemia [β(95%CI):-0.386(-0.70,-0.02)] were associated with lower verbal episodic memory. Conclusions Among Black Americans, lifecourse CVRF were associated with poorer executive function and verbal episodic memory emphasizing the importance of cardiovascular health on the aging brain.

scholarly journals Cardiovascular risk factors in adolescence and adulthood and late‐life cognition: Study of Healthy Aging in African Americans (STAR)

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (S10) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristen M George ◽  
Rachel Peterson ◽  
Paola Gilsanz ◽  
Lisa L Barnes ◽  
M Maria Glymour ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Cardiovascular Risk ◽  
African Americans ◽  
Cardiovascular Risk Factors ◽  
Healthy Aging ◽  
Late Life

scholarly journals Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Young Adulthood and Midlife Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Late-life Cognitive Domains

2021 ◽  
Vol Publish Ahead of Print ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel L. Peterson ◽  
Kristen M. George ◽  
Paola Gilsanz ◽  
Sarah Ackley ◽  
Elizabeth R. Mayeda ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Cardiovascular Risk ◽  
Cardiovascular Risk Factors ◽  
Young Adulthood ◽  
Ethnic Disparities ◽  
Late Life ◽  
Cognitive Domains ◽  
Racial Ethnic

scholarly journals The Effect of Midlife Cardiovascular Risk Factors on Cognitive Function Nearly Half a Decade Later

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 894-894
Author(s):  
Teresa Warren ◽  
Shandell Pahlen ◽  
Hong Xian ◽  
Jennifer De Anda ◽  
William Kremen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Executive Function ◽  
Cardiovascular Risk ◽  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Episodic Memory ◽  
Cardiovascular Risk Factors ◽  
Processing Speed ◽  
Cardiovascular Health ◽  
Semantic Fluency ◽  
Cognitive Domains

Abstract Several cardiovascular risk factors (CVRFs) have been associated with poor cognitive function. However, few studies have examined these factors longitudinally during midlife. We hypothesized that more midlife CVRFs would predict worse cognitive function approximately six years later. Participants were 886 men who participated in waves 2 and 3 of the Vietnam Era Twin Study of Aging. The American Heart Association’s “Life’s Simple 7” index was used to measure CVRFs. CVRFs were assessed at mean age 61 (range 55-66) and included smoking, physical activity, diet, body mass index, cholesterol, glucose, and blood pressure. Each factor was coded on a 3-point scale (0-2), ranging from poor to ideal status. These scores were then used to create a composite CVRF index (0-14). We examined several cognitive domains assessed at mean age 67 (range 61-73): abstract reasoning, episodic memory, processing speed, executive function, working memory, general verbal fluency, and semantic fluency. Analyses were adjusted for ethnicity, and education, and mean age 61. In the generalized estimating equation models, there were significant main effects indicating that the CVRF index at mean age 61 significantly predicted cognitive function at mean age 67 in episodic memory, 95% CI [.01, .08], p = .01, processing speed, 95% CI [.02, .09], p = .01, and executive function, 95% CI [.00, .06] ], p = .03. The CVRF index did not predict cognitive function in the other cognitive domains. These results suggest that poor cardiovascular health in late midlife may exacerbate cognitive decline.

The impact of hippocampal segmentation methods on correlations with clinical data

2019 ◽  
Vol 61 (7) ◽  
pp. 953-963
Author(s):  
Rowa Aljondi ◽  
Cassandra Szoeke ◽  
Chris Steward ◽  
Elaine Lui ◽  
Salem Alghamdi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Cardiovascular Risk ◽  
Episodic Memory ◽  
Cardiovascular Risk Factors ◽  
Cholesterol Level ◽  
Memory Performance ◽  
Hdl Cholesterol ◽  
Hippocampal Volume ◽  
Segmentation Methods ◽  
Verbal Episodic Memory

Background In vivo measurement of hippocampal volume with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has become an important element in neuroimaging research. However, hippocampal volumetric findings and their relationship with cardiovascular risk factors and memory performance are still controversial and inconsistent for non-demented adults. Purpose To compare total and regional hippocampal volumes from manual tracing and automated Freesurfer segmentation methods and their relationship with mid-life clinical data and late-life verbal episodic memory performance in older women. Material and Methods This study used structural MRI datasets from 161 women who were scanned in 2012 and underwent neuropsychological assessments. Of these participants, 135 women had completed baseline measures of cardiovascular risk factors in 1992. Results Our results showed a significant correlation between manual tracing and automated Freesurfer output segmentations of total (r = 0.71), anterior (r = 0.65), and posterior (r = 0.38) hippocampal volumes. Mid-life Framingham Cardiovascular Risk Profile score is not associated with late-life hippocampal volumes, adjusted for intracranial volume, age, education, and apolipoprotein E gene ε4 status. Anterior hippocampal volume segmented either with manual tracing or automated Freesurfer software is sensitive to changes in mid-life high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol level, while posterior hippocampal volume is linked with verbal episodic memory performance in elderly women. Conclusion These findings support the use of Freesurfer automated segmentation measures for large datasets as being highly correlated with the manual tracing method. In addition, our results suggest intervention strategies that target mid-life HDL cholesterol level in women.

scholarly journals Young adulthood cardiovascular risk and MRI and amyloid PET in late‐life in a diverse cohort: The Kaiser Healthy Aging and Diverse Life Experiences (KHANDLE) Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (S5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristen M. George ◽  
Rachel A. Whitmer ◽  
Elizabeth Rose Mayeda ◽  
M. Maria Glymour ◽  
Dan M Mungas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cardiovascular Risk ◽  
Young Adulthood ◽  
Healthy Aging ◽  
Life Experiences ◽  
Late Life ◽  
Amyloid Pet

scholarly journals Do Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Cardiovascular Disease Explain Sex Differences in Cognitive Functioning in Old Age?

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Elisabeth Maria van Zutphen ◽  
Judith Johanna Maria Rijnhart ◽  
Didericke Rhebergen ◽  
Majon Muller ◽  
Martijn Huisman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Cardiovascular Disease ◽  
Sex Differences ◽  
Information Processing ◽  
Cardiovascular Risk ◽  
Episodic Memory ◽  
Cognitive Functioning ◽  
Cardiovascular Risk Factors ◽  
Processing Speed ◽  
Information Processing Speed

Background: Sex differences in cognitive functioning in old age are known to exist yet are still poorly understood. Objective: This study examines to what extent differences in cardiovascular risk factors and cardiovascular disease between men and women explain sex differences in cognitive functioning. Methods: Data from 2,724 older adults from the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam were used. Information processing speed and episodic memory, measured three times during six years of follow-up, served as outcomes. The mediating role of cardiovascular risk factors and cardiovascular disease was examined in single and multiple mediator models. Determinant-mediator effects were estimated using linear or logistic regression, and determinant-outcome and mediator-outcome effects were estimated using linear mixed models. Indirect effects were estimated using the product-of-coefficients estimator. Results: Women scored 1.58 points higher on information processing speed and 1.53 points higher on episodic memory. Several cardiovascular risk factors had small mediating effects. The sex difference in information processing speed was mediated by smoking, depressive symptoms, obesity, and systolic blood pressure. The sex difference in episodic memory was mediated by smoking, physical activity, and depressive symptoms. Effects of smoking, LDL cholesterol, and diabetes mellitus on information processing speed differed between men and women. Conclusion: Differences in cardiovascular risk factors between women and men partially explained why women had better cognitive functioning. A healthy cardiovascular lifestyle seems beneficial for cognition and sex-specific strategies may be important to preserve cognitive functioning at older age.

scholarly journals Early adulthood and midlife cardiovascular risk factors and late‐life cognition in KHANDLE: A lifecourse study of a diverse cohort

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (S6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel Peterson ◽  
Kristen M. George ◽  
Paola Gilsanz ◽  
Elizabeth Rose Mayeda ◽  
M. Maria Glymour ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Cardiovascular Risk ◽  
Cardiovascular Risk Factors ◽  
Early Adulthood ◽  
Late Life

scholarly journals Strong and specific associations between cardiovascular risk factors and white matter micro- and macrostructure in healthy aging

2019 ◽  
Vol 74 ◽  
pp. 46-55 ◽  
Author(s):  
Delia Fuhrmann ◽  
David Nesbitt ◽  
Meredith Shafto ◽  
James B. Rowe ◽  
Darren Price ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Cardiovascular Risk ◽  
White Matter ◽  
Cardiovascular Risk Factors ◽  
Healthy Aging
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