Vascular Depression and Cognition in Mexican Americans

Abstract

Background: Mexican Americans are at increased risk of developing mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer’s disease compared to non-Hispanic whites. This study sought to examine the relationship between vascular risk, depression, and cognition in Mexican American elders. Methods: Data from 470 (390 normal controls, 80 MCI patients) Mexican Americans enrolled in the Health and Aging Brain among Latino Elders (HABLE) study were used. The cardiovascular risk was assessed by the Framingham Risk Score. Cognition was assessed with a neuropsychological battery, and depression was assessed based on scores from the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS). ANOVAs were utilized to determine the differences in neuropsychological scores of normal controls with and without depression and CVD risk (low vs. high). Follow-up logistic regression was conducted to determine MCI risk. Results: The results of this study indicated that comorbid depression and a high CVD risk were associated with poorer cognitive performance in Mexican Americans. Depressed women with high CVD risk were more likely to have executive dysfunction, language deficits, and poorer global cognition than nondepressed women with a high CVD risk. In Mexican American men, those with a high vascular risk and depression were more likely to have executive dysfunction and poorer immediate memory than the nondepressed high-risk group. Higher GDS scores (OR = 1.10; 95% CI 1.02–1.10, p = 0.001) and higher vascular risk scores (OR = 1.05; 95% CI 1.02–1.10, p = 0.001) significantly predicted MCI status in Mexican Americans. Conclusion: The results of this study indicated that comorbid depression and a high CVD risk were associated with poorer cognitive performance and increased risk of MCI in Mexican Americans.

Microbial determinants of dementia risk in subjects of Mexican descent with type 2 diabetes living in South Texas

“…Furthermore, Bayesian gene-set enrichment identified differential methylation in clusters of genes associated with metabolically-driven systemic inflammation in Mexican Americans with AD 34 . Additionally, there is an increase in comorbid depression in Mexican Americans with AD 4,35 . In this context, changes in the gut microbiome, including those that alter the expression of neurotransmitters and their precursors, have been causally linked to depression in humans [36][37][38] .…”

Mitochondrial DNA oxidative mutations are elevated in Mexican American women potentially implicating Alzheimer’s disease

“…Besides the existing general AD healthcare problems 1 , there are gaps in the scientific literature characterizing race/ethnicity-specific risk for disease development and progression of AD 15 . Recently, it has been recognized that ethnic/racial factors significantly impact biological and medical risk factors for AD 1 , 15 , 16 . In the US, there are more non-Hispanic whites (NHWs) living with AD than other racial/ethnic groups, although per-capita Hispanics are more likely to have AD 1 , 17 .…”

“…The presence of comorbid conditions (e.g., cardiovascular disease and diabetes) may explain in part, some of the disparity in AD prevalence 1 . In the US, Mexican Americans (MAs) represent majority of the Hispanic population, has one of the fastest-growing aging groups, and it is projected that by 2050 the number of aging MAs will triple, while rates of AD will grow six-fold among Hispanics 16 , 18 , 19 .…”

“…Correspondingly, a recent study determined that APOE ε4 allele carrier status did not confer risk for MCI in MAs 20 . MAs clearly suffer from significant AD health disparities when compared to NHWs, including (1) earlier onset (~10 years) of cognitive impairment, (2) higher rates of missed diagnosis, (3) later diagnosis, and (4) increased prevalence of modifiable risk factors 1 , 16 , 18 , 19 . Depression, stroke, T2D, and obesity in the MA population are common risk factors for developing cognitive impairment that is more common in MAs, although the etiology remains unclear 16 , 21 .…”

Depression, anxiety and motivation in arterial hypertension

“…Вознесенской [13]. Гипотеза «сосудистой депрессии» широко обсуждается и в зарубежной литературе [14][15][16][17][18][19][20]. Наличие депрессии, даже небольшой по выраженности, имеет существенное клиническое значение, так как ухудшает качество жизни пациента и может усугублять течение базисного сосудистого заболевания.…”