The MindMoves Trial: Cross-Sectional Analyses of Baseline Vascular Risk and Cognition in Older Women with Cardiovascular Disease

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Halloway, Shannon^{a; *} | Volgman, Annabelle Santos^b | Barnes, Lisa L.^{b; c} | Schoeny, Michael E.^d | Wilbur, JoEllen^d | Pressler, Susan J.^e | Laddu, Deepika^f | Phillips, Shane A.^g | Vispute, Sachin^d | Hall, Gabriel^d | Shakya, Shamatree^a | Goodyke, Madison^a | Auger, Claire^b | Cagin, Kelly^b | Borgia, Jeffrey A.^b | Arvanitakis, Zoe A.^{b; c}

Affiliations: [a] College of Nursing, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA | [b] Rush Medical College, Rush University, Chicago, IL, USA | [c] Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA | [d] Rush University College of Nursing, Rush University, Chicago, IL, USA | [e] Indiana University School of Nursing, Indiana University, IN, USA | [f] Arbor Research Collaborative for Health, Ann Arbor, MI, USA | [g] College of Applied Health Sciences, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA

Correspondence: [*] Correspondence to: Shannon Halloway, PhD, RN, Department of Biobehavioral Nursing Science, College of Nursing, University of Illinois Chicago, 845 S. Damen Ave. (MC 802), Chicago, IL 60612, USA. Tel.: +1 312 996 7844; E-mail: sthallow@uic.edu.

Abstract: Background:Vascular diseases, including atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) and stroke, increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and cognitive impairment. Serum biomarkers, such as brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), may be indicators of cognitive health. Objective:We examined whether vascular risk was associated with levels of cognition and serum biomarkers in older women with cardiovascular disease (CVD). Methods:Baseline data from a lifestyle trial in older women (n = 253) with CVD (NCT04556305) were analyzed. Vascular risk scores were calculated for ASCVD (ASCVD risk estimator) and stroke (CHA2DS2-VASc) based on published criteria. Cognition-related serum biomarkers included BDNF, VEGF, and IGF-1. Cognition was based on a battery of neuropsychological tests that assessed episodic memory, semantic memory, working memory, and executive function. A series of separate linear regression models were used to evaluate associations of vascular risk scores with outcomes of cognition and serum biomarkers. All models were adjusted for age, education level, and racial and ethnic background. Results:In separate linear regression models, both ASCVD and CHA2DS2-VASc scores were inversely associated with semantic memory (β= –0.22, p = 0.007 and β= –0.15, p = 0.022, respectively), with no significant findings for the other cognitive domains. There were no significant associations between vascular risk scores and serum biomarkers. Conclusions:Future studies should prospectively examine associations between vascular risk and cognition in other populations and additionally consider other serum biomarkers that may be related to vascular risk and cognition.

Keywords: Alzheimer’s disease, biomarkers, cardiovascular health, risk factors, stroke

DOI: 10.3233/JAD-240100

Journal: Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, vol. 100, no. 4, pp. 1407-1416, 2024