Effect of Controlling the Cardiovascular Risk Factors on the Cognitive Decline Prevention in the Elderly: A Systematic Review

Overview

Journal Basic Clin Neurosci

Specialty Neurology

Date 2024 Oct 15

PMID 39403360

Authors

Maryam Noroozian

Alia Shakiba

Fatemeh Mohammadian

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

With the increasing proportion of the elderly population, neurodegenerative diseases such as dementia are becoming more prevalent worldwide. Vascular risk factors are considered significant targets for cognitive decline prevention. We reviewed the effect of cardiovascular risk factors on cognitive decline prevention in the elderly to evaluate the quantity and quality of evidence in managing the elderly population with cognitive decline. Data analysis was available from 25 studies that explored the effects of controlling cardiovascular risk factors on the risk of cognitive impairment. These risk factors include diabetes mellitus, high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, and exercise and physical activity. The most positive evidence was found for exercise and physical activity. On the other hand, diabetes mellitus and cholesterol modifications showed no positive impact on cognitive function. Studies on hypertension control were incongruous. There is a need for large-sample, robust randomized clinical trials to provide sufficient evidence for the modification of various cardiovascular risk factors in preventing cognitive decline.

Citing Articles

Change in cardiovascular health and rate of cognitive decline in older adults: a 15-year population-based study.

Speh A, Kramberger M, Winblad B, Backman L, Qiu C, Laukka E BMC Geriatr. 2024; 24(1):263.

PMID: 38500037 PMC: 10949596. DOI: 10.1186/s12877-024-04856-y.

References

Gunstad J, Paul R, Cohen R, Tate D, Spitznagel M, Grieve S . Relationship between body mass index and brain volume in healthy adults. Int J Neurosci. 2008; 118(11):1582-93. DOI: 10.1080/00207450701392282. View

Whitmer R, Sidney S, SELBY J, Johnston S, Yaffe K . Midlife cardiovascular risk factors and risk of dementia in late life. Neurology. 2005; 64(2):277-81. DOI: 10.1212/01.WNL.0000149519.47454.F2. View

Teixeira C, Gobbi S, Pereira J, Vital T, Hernandez S, Shigematsu R . Effects of square-stepping exercise on cognitive functions of older people. Psychogeriatrics. 2015; 13(3):148-56. DOI: 10.1111/psyg.12017. View

Fiocco A, Scarcello S, Marzolini S, Chan A, Oh P, Proulx G . The effects of an exercise and lifestyle intervention program on cardiovascular, metabolic factors and cognitive performance in middle-aged adults with type II diabetes: a pilot study. Can J Diabetes. 2013; 37(4):214-219. DOI: 10.1016/j.jcjd.2013.03.369. View

de Galan B, Zoungas S, Chalmers J, Anderson C, Dufouil C, Pillai A . Cognitive function and risks of cardiovascular disease and hypoglycaemia in patients with type 2 diabetes: the Action in Diabetes and Vascular Disease: Preterax and Diamicron Modified Release Controlled Evaluation (ADVANCE) trial. Diabetologia. 2009; 52(11):2328-2336. DOI: 10.1007/s00125-009-1484-7. View

Biessels G, Despa F . Cognitive decline and dementia in diabetes mellitus: mechanisms and clinical implications. Nat Rev Endocrinol. 2018; 14(10):591-604. PMC: 6397437. DOI: 10.1038/s41574-018-0048-7. View

Beck C, Fausett J, Krukowski R, Cornell C, Prewitt T, Lensing S . A randomized trial of a community-based cognitive intervention for obese senior adults. J Aging Health. 2012; 25(1):97-118. PMC: 3947810. DOI: 10.1177/0898264312467374. View

Naderali E, Ratcliffe S, Dale M . Obesity and Alzheimer's disease: a link between body weight and cognitive function in old age. Am J Alzheimers Dis Other Demen. 2009; 24(6):445-9. PMC: 10846277. DOI: 10.1177/1533317509348208. View

Forette F, Seux M, Staessen J, Thijs L, Babarskiene M, Babeanu S . The prevention of dementia with antihypertensive treatment: new evidence from the Systolic Hypertension in Europe (Syst-Eur) study. Arch Intern Med. 2002; 162(18):2046-52. DOI: 10.1001/archinte.162.18.2046. View

10.

Park S, Kim J, Choi K, Jang Y, Bae S, Choi B . Hypercholesterolemia accelerates amyloid β-induced cognitive deficits. Int J Mol Med. 2013; 31(3):577-82. DOI: 10.3892/ijmm.2013.1233. View

11.

Livingston G, Huntley J, Sommerlad A, Ames D, Ballard C, Banerjee S . Dementia prevention, intervention, and care: 2020 report of the Lancet Commission. Lancet. 2020; 396(10248):413-446. PMC: 7392084. DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30367-6. View

12.

Peters R, Beckett N, Forette F, Tuomilehto J, Clarke R, Ritchie C . Incident dementia and blood pressure lowering in the Hypertension in the Very Elderly Trial cognitive function assessment (HYVET-COG): a double-blind, placebo controlled trial. Lancet Neurol. 2008; 7(8):683-9. DOI: 10.1016/S1474-4422(08)70143-1. View

13.

Lithell H, Hansson L, Skoog I, Elmfeldt D, Hofman A, Olofsson B . The Study on Cognition and Prognosis in the Elderly (SCOPE): principal results of a randomized double-blind intervention trial. J Hypertens. 2003; 21(5):875-86. DOI: 10.1097/00004872-200305000-00011. View

14.

Luchsinger J, Patel B, Tang M, Schupf N, Mayeux R . Measures of adiposity and dementia risk in elderly persons. Arch Neurol. 2007; 64(3):392-8. PMC: 1821350. DOI: 10.1001/archneur.64.3.392. View

15.

Bloom R, Schnaider-Beeri M, Ravona-Springer R, Heymann A, Dabush H, Bar L . Computerized cognitive training for older diabetic adults at risk of dementia: Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. Alzheimers Dement (N Y). 2017; 3(4):636-650. PMC: 5716953. DOI: 10.1016/j.trci.2017.10.003. View

16.

Ryan D, Espeland M, Foster G, Haffner S, Hubbard V, Johnson K . Look AHEAD (Action for Health in Diabetes): design and methods for a clinical trial of weight loss for the prevention of cardiovascular disease in type 2 diabetes. Control Clin Trials. 2003; 24(5):610-28. DOI: 10.1016/s0197-2456(03)00064-3. View

17.

Teixeira R, Marins J, Amorim P, Teoldo I, Cupeiro R, Andrade M . Evaluating the effects of exercise on cognitive function in hypertensive and diabetic patients using the mental test and training system. World J Biol Psychiatry. 2017; 20(3):209-218. DOI: 10.1080/15622975.2017.1337222. View

18.

Hsiung G, Sadovnick A . Genetics and dementia: risk factors, diagnosis, and management. Alzheimers Dement. 2009; 3(4):418-27. DOI: 10.1016/j.jalz.2007.07.010. View

19.

Moheet A, Mangia S, Seaquist E . Impact of diabetes on cognitive function and brain structure. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2015; 1353:60-71. PMC: 4837888. DOI: 10.1111/nyas.12807. View

20.

Barnes D, Yaffe K . The projected effect of risk factor reduction on Alzheimer's disease prevalence. Lancet Neurol. 2011; 10(9):819-28. PMC: 3647614. DOI: 10.1016/S1474-4422(11)70072-2. View