Abstract
Introduction
Cardiovascular disease risk factors (CVRFs) contribute to the development of cognitive impairment and dementia.
Methods
This study examined the associations between circulating CVRF biomarkers and cognition in 386 cognitively healthy older adults (mean age = 78 ± 4 years, 53% females) selected from the Quebec Longitudinal Study on Nutrition and Successful Aging (NuAge). Memory, executive function, and processing speed were assessed at baseline and 2-year follow-up. CVRF biomarkers included total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C), triglycerides, glucose, insulin, high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), homocysteine, protein carbonyls, and cortisol. Linear mixed models were used to determine associations between individual CVRF biomarkers and cognition at both time points.
Results
HDL-C was most consistently associated with cognition with higher values related to better performance across several domains. Overall, stronger and more consistent relationships between CVRF biomarkers and cognition were observed in females relative to males.
Discussion
Findings suggest that increases in the majority of circulating CVRFs are not associated with worse cognition in cognitively healthy older adults.
Plain Language Summary
Cardiovascular disease risk contributes to the development of cognitive impairment and dementia. Circulating markers of cardiovascular disease risk such as cholesterol, glucose, and insulin are routinely measured in clinical practice, but their utility in predicting cognitive impairment is uncertain. This study looked at whether such markers that show risk for cardiovascular disease are associated with cognition in older adults. The study examined 386 cognitively healthy older adults (mean age = 78 ± 4 years, 53% females) selected from the Quebec Longitudinal Study on Nutrition and Successful Aging (NuAge). Memory, executive function, and processing speed were assessed twice: at the beginning of the study and 2-year later. Our analysis showed that one type of cholesterol (high-density lipoprotein [HDL] cholesterol) was most consistently linked with cognition. That is, higher values of HDL cholesterol were related to better cognitive performance. This type of link was stronger and more consistent in females compared to males. The findings suggest that increases in most circulating markers of cardiovascular disease risk are not associated with worse cognition in cognitively healthy older adults.