The association between cardiovascular risk burden and cognitive function amongst the old: a 9-year longitudinal cohort study.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Cardiovascular risk burden in midlife has been linked to cognitive decline in later life, but whether this association still exists in older cohorts is unclear. METHODS: The association between the cardiovascular risk score and cognitive function was investigated using 9-year follow-up data. The risk score algorithms were from the Chinese guidelines on the prevention and treatment of dyslipidemia in adults (2016 revised), which were assessed at baseline and categorized into tertiles (low, middle and high). Full intelligence quotient (FIQ), verbal intelligence quotient (VIQ) and performance intelligence quotient (PIQ) were assessed at follow-ups with the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Chinese, revised (WAIS-RC). Data were analyzed using the linear mixed-effects model. RESULTS: A total of 924 participants (mean age 78.06 ± 7.58 years) were included in our study. In all participants, the risk score ranged from 0.02 to 0.55 (mean score 0.16 ± 0.08). Compared with the low tertile, a higher risk score was associated with lower FIQ (ß -0.094, 95% confidence interval [CI] -0.181, -0.007) and VIQ (ß -0.100; 95% CI -0.192, -0.007) at the follow-up. There is a more significant association between higher risk score and lower FIQ amongst females (ß -0.263; 95% CI -0.462, -0.065) and VIQ (ß -0.268; 95% CI -0.478, -0.057). CONCLUSIONS: A higher cardiovascular risk score was associated with lower FIQ and VIQ. Higher cardiovascular risk burden increased the risk of cognition impairment and accelerated its progression over time. This study has implications for early detection of cognition impairment.

Vitamin D Supplementation Improves Cognitive Function Through Reducing Oxidative Stress Regulated by Telomere Length in Older Adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment: A 12-Month Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Cognitive decline in older adults is a serious public health problem today. Association between vitamin D supplementation and cognition remains controversial. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether a 12-month vitamin D supplementation improves cognitive function in elderly subjects with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and whether it is mediated through the mechanism in which telomere length (TL) regulate oxidative stress. METHODS: This was a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial in Tianjin, China. Participants were all native Chinese speakers aged 65 years and older with MCI. 183 subjects were randomized to an intervention group (vitamin D 800 IU/day, n = 93) or a placebo group (the matching starch granules, n = 90), and followed up for 12 months. Tests of cognitive function and mechanism-related biomarkers were evaluated at baseline, 6 months, and 12 months. RESULTS: Repeated-measures ANOVA showed substantial improvements in the full scale intelligence quotient (FSIQ), information, digit span, vocabulary, block design, and picture arrangement scores in the vitamin D group over the placebo group (p < 0.001). Leukocyte TL was significantly higher, while serum 8-OXO-dG, OGG1mRNA, and P16INK4amRNA revealed greater decreases in the vitamin D group over the placebo group (p < 0.001). According to mixed-model repeated-measures ANOVA analysis, vitamin D group showed a significant enhancement in the FSIQ score for 12 months compared with the control (estimate value = 5.132, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Vitamin D supplementation for 12 months appears to improve cognitive function through reducing oxidative stress regulated by increased TL in order adults with MCI. Vitamin D may be a promising public health strategy to prevent cognitive decline.