Relation between vascular risk factors and cognition at age 75.

OBJECTIVE

Recent trends in dementia research emphasize that not only cerebrovascular events but also vascular risk factors induce, favour or cause cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease.

MATERIAL AND

METHODS

We evaluated vascular risk factors (blood pressure, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, triglycerides, HbA1c, homocysteine, lipoprotein(a), fibrinogen, C-reactive protein and smoking habits) in a community-based cohort of 75-year-old individuals of two districts in Vienna (247 men, 359 women) and correlated these risk factors with overall cognition.

RESULTS

Pathological vascular risk factors were found frequently in the age cohort. However, the expected associations between the Mini-Mental State Examination and any cardiovascular risk factors were missing. Only individuals with a positive history of smoking showed lower cognitive capacities.

CONCLUSIONS

We assume that cognitive dysfunction in old age is connected to factors other than the known classical and novel risk factors for the development of cardiovascular disease.