TY - JOUR
T1 - The effect of midlife cardiovascular risk factors on white matter hyperintensity volume and cognition two decades later in normal ageing women
AU - Aljondi, Rowa
AU - Szoeke, Cassandra
AU - Steward, Chris
AU - Gorelik, Alexandra
AU - Desmond, Patricia
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2018, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.
PY - 2020/2
Y1 - 2020/2
N2 - Cerebral White Matter Hyperintensity (WMH) lesions have been identified as markers of cerebrovascular diseases and they are associated with increased risk of cognitive impairment. In this study, we investigated the relationship between midlife cardiovascular risk factors and late life WMH volumes two decades later, and examined their association with cognitive performance. 135 participants from the Women’s Healthy Ageing Project had completed midlife cardiovascular risk measurement in 1992 and late life brain MRI scan and cognitive assessment in 2012. In these community-dwelling normal aging women, we found that higher midlife Framingham Cardiovascular Risk Profile (FCRP) score was associated with greater WMH volume two decades later, and was predominantly driven by the impact of HDL cholesterol level, controlling for age, education and APOE ε4 status. Structural equation modelling demonstrated that the relationship between midlife FCRP score and late life executive function was mediated by WMH volume. These findings suggest intervention strategies that target major cardiovascular risk factors at midlife might be effective in reducing the development of WMH lesions and thus late life cognitive decline.
AB - Cerebral White Matter Hyperintensity (WMH) lesions have been identified as markers of cerebrovascular diseases and they are associated with increased risk of cognitive impairment. In this study, we investigated the relationship between midlife cardiovascular risk factors and late life WMH volumes two decades later, and examined their association with cognitive performance. 135 participants from the Women’s Healthy Ageing Project had completed midlife cardiovascular risk measurement in 1992 and late life brain MRI scan and cognitive assessment in 2012. In these community-dwelling normal aging women, we found that higher midlife Framingham Cardiovascular Risk Profile (FCRP) score was associated with greater WMH volume two decades later, and was predominantly driven by the impact of HDL cholesterol level, controlling for age, education and APOE ε4 status. Structural equation modelling demonstrated that the relationship between midlife FCRP score and late life executive function was mediated by WMH volume. These findings suggest intervention strategies that target major cardiovascular risk factors at midlife might be effective in reducing the development of WMH lesions and thus late life cognitive decline.
KW - Cognitive domains
KW - Elderly women
KW - Framingham cardiovascular risk profile score
KW - Midlife cardiovascular risk factors
KW - White matter hyperintensity volume
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85053898224&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s11682-018-9970-5
DO - 10.1007/s11682-018-9970-5
M3 - Article
C2 - 30259291
AN - SCOPUS:85053898224
SN - 1931-7557
VL - 14
SP - 51
EP - 61
JO - Brain Imaging and Behavior
JF - Brain Imaging and Behavior
IS - 1
ER -