A new study published on 20 April suggests that people who accumulate cardiovascular disease risk factors over time, at a faster pace, have an increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease dementia or vascular dementia, compared to people whose risk factors remain stable throughout life. Findings were published in the online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The study followed 1,244 people with an average age of 55 who were considered healthy in terms of cardiovascular health and memory skills at the start of the study. Participants were given memory tests, health checks and completed lifestyle questionnaires every five years for up to 25 years. People had their cardiovascular disease risk calculated using a measurement called the Framingham Risk Score which predicts a person’s 10-year risk of going on to have a cardiovascular event, such as a stroke or heart attack. It looks at factors such as age, sex, body mass index, blood pressure, smoking status and diabetes.
Researchers determined who had an accelerated cardiovascular disease risk. Of all participants, 6% developed Alzheimer’s disease and 3% vascular dementia. Results showed that cardiovascular disease risk remained stable in 22% of participants, increased moderately over time in 60% and accelerated more rapidly in 18%. Participants in the study with stable cardiovascular disease risk were less likely to go on to develop Alzheimer’s disease or vascular dementia compared to those with an accelerated cardiovascular risk. Researchers determined that people with an accelerated cardiovascular disease risk had a three to six times greater chance of developing Alzheimer’s disease dementia and a three to four times greater risk of developing vascular dementia.
https://n.neurology.org/content/early/2022/04/20/WNL.0000000000200255
