The relationship between vascular risk factors and cognitive status

Background: Vascular risk factors have been showed to contribute to cognitive impairment. This study examined the relationship between 10-year risk for coronary heart disease (CHD) or stroke and cognitive function in older people, free of cardiovascular disease.Material and Methods: Participants were consecutive attenders of a ?stroke and dementia primary prevention clinic?, between 2009 -2010. The Framingham Risk Score (FRS), Modified Framingham Stroke Risk Profile (FSRP) and Joint British Societies Risk Scale (JBSRS) were used to assess 10-year risk of CHD, stroke and CHD/stroke, respectively. Cognitive function was measured with Montreal Cognitive Assessment Scale (MoCA). Cognitive status (CS) was categorized as impaired (MoCA?21) vs. normal as previously validated in the Turkish population. Correlations between cognitive status and global vascular risk were analyzed with multivariate logistic regression analyses. Age, gender, education level, other potential correlates of cognitive ability, treatment for hyperlipidemia, hypertension and diabetes were included in the analyses.Results: The sample consisted of 167 individuals (40 men and 127 women). Mean age was 68 (SD: 6 Range: 28). Mean FRS and FSRP were 8(20-3) and 7(11-4) respectively. Forty one percent, 27%, 8% and 24%, of individuals were in JBSRS <10%, 10-19%, 20-29% ve ?30% categories, respectively. Fifty five individuals (%33) had impaired CS. Individuals with higher FRS (increments by 10% in FRS) had more impaired CS (adjusted OR:1, 669, 95%CI 1,038.to2,682). No association was shown between FSRP or JBSRS and CS. Higher age, lower education level, absence of alcohol consumption and absence of treatment for hyperlipidemia were the other independent predictors of impaired CS.Conclusion: Our findings indicated that in older individuals, free of cardiovascular disease, global vascular risk is associated with impaired cognitive function which was accounted for by FRS rather than FSRP or JBSRS. This association was demonstrated with the use of a neuropsychological test which is sensitive for mild cognitive impaiment in routine clinical setting.