Metabolic and vascular risk factors are associated with reduced cerebral blood flow and poorer midlife memory performance

Abstract

Midlife metabolic and vascular risk factors (MVRFs) predict cognitive decline and dementia; however, these risk factors tend to overlap, and the mechanisms underlying their effects on cognitive performance are not well understood. This crosssectional study investigates the contributions of MVRFs to regional cerebral blood flow (CBF) and verbal learning & memory among middle-aged adults. We used partial least squares (PLS) analysis to create latent risk factor profiles and examine their associations to CBF in 93 regions of interest among 451 participants (age 50.3 ± 3.5 years) of the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults. This multivariate analysis revealed regional CBF was lower in relation to obesity (higher body mass index and waist circumference), dysregulated glucose homeostasis (higher fasting glucose, oral glucose tolerance, and higher fasting insulin), and adverse fasting lipid profile (lower high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and higher triglycerides). In a sensitivity analysis, we found that significant associations between MVRFs and CBF were prominent in the hypertension-medicated subgroup. In a mediation model, the PLSbased MVRFs profile was associated with memory performance (rey auditory verbal learning test); however, CBF was not a significant mediator of this association. The Bradley J. MacIntosh and Zahra Shirzadi contributed equally to this work.

Mediterranean Diet on Sleep: A Health Alliance

“…Improvements in adiposity and body weight, blood pressure, blood lipids, glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity have been reported in association with adherence to the Mediterranean diet [ 72 , 92 , 93 , 94 ]. These effects may beneficially affect brain function, cognition, and mood [ 95 , 96 , 97 ], which are also important to sleep.…”

An Integrated View on Vascular Dysfunction in Alzheimer’s Disease

“…In summary, imaging studies in AD have shown that dysregulation for CBF and rCBV are critically involved in the pathogenesis of the disease. Changes in rCBF occur earlier than rCBV during the disease course [98], where metabolic and vascular risk factors have been implicated as a driver of hemodynamic disturbances [102,103]. Consistent, experimental studies have shown that these risk factors compromises cerebral perfusion, contribute to cognitive impairment and enhances AD pathology [104,105].…”

High‐density lipoprotein cholesterol and brain aging amongst rural‐dwelling older adults: a population‐based magnetic resonance imaging study

“…our study did not support a significant mediation effect of relevant brain structural measures (e.g., hippocampal and WM volumes) in the associations between serum lipids (e.g., HDL-C) and cognitive phenotypes. This suggests that additional pathways, such as reduced cerebral blood flow [34], might be involved in the cognitive consequences associated with abnormal serum lipid profiles, which deserves further investigation.…”

“…Although it is biologically plausible to hypothesize that abnormal serum lipids might be linked to cognitive outcomes in old age via affecting brain amyloidβ protein deposition [31] and cerebrovascular disease [32,33], our study did not support a significant mediation effect of relevant brain structural measures (e.g., hippocampal and WM volumes) in the associations between serum lipids (e.g., HDL-C) and cognitive phenotypes. This suggests that additional pathways, such as reduced cerebral blood flow [34], might be involved in the cognitive consequences associated with abnormal serum lipid profiles, which deserves further investigation.…”