Published Online
on September 8, 2005

A more recent version of this article appeared on October 1, 2005

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Submitted on April 20, 2005
Revised on July 6, 2005
Accepted on July 12, 2005

Relationship Between Arterial Stiffness and Cognitive Function in Elderly Subjects With Complaints of Memory Loss

Olivier Hanon MD, PhD^*; Sylvie Haulon MD; Hermine Lenoir MD; Marie-Laure Seux MD; Anne-Sophie Rigaud MD, PhD; Michel Safar MD; Xavier Girerd MD, PhD; and Françoise Forette MD

From the Université Paris-Descartes (O.H., S.H., H.L., M.-L.S., A.-S.R., F.F.), Department of Geriatrics, Hôpital Broca, Paris, France; the Diagnosis Center (M.S.), Hotel-Dieu Hospital, Paris, France; and the Department of Endocrinology--Cardiovascular Prevention Unit (X.G.), Hôpital de la Pitié Salpêtrière, Paris, France.

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: olivier.hanon{at}brc.ap-hop-paris.fr.

Background and Purpose--To evaluate the relationship between arterial stiffness and cognitive function in a population of elderly subjects reporting memory loss.

Methods--We studied the association between cognitive function and arterial stiffness in 308 consecutive elderly subjects attending a geriatric outpatient clinic reporting memory impairment. Subjects were classified into 4 categories according to neuropsychological evaluation: normal cognitive function, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), Alzheimer disease (AD), or vascular dementia (VaD). Arterial stiffness was evaluated by carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV) measurement using Complior.

Results--In this population, 78±8 years of age (women 64%), AD was present in 41%, VaD in 6%, MCI in 27%, and 26% of subjects had normal cognitive function. After adjustment for age, gender, systolic blood pressure, education level, cardiovascular diseases, and antihypertensive therapy, a significant association was observed between PWV and cognitive status (P<0.0001). PWV appears significantly higher in subjects with VaD (15.2±3.9 m/s) or AD (13.3±2.9 m/s) than in those without cognitive impairment (11.5±2.0 m/s; P<0.001). Moreover, PWV was higher in subjects with MCI (12.6±2.6 m/s) than in those without cognitive impairment (11.5±2.0 m/s; P=0.01). For each 2 m/s increment in PWV, the adjusted odds ratio (95% CI) was 1.73 (1.27 to 2.47) for AD and 3.52 (1.87 to 8.05) for VaD.

Conclusion--Our results showed a relationship between arterial stiffness and cognitive impairment, suggesting that functional changes of the arterial system could be involved in the onset of dementia (VaD or AD types).

Key words: cognitive disorders • elderly • hypertension

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