Pulse Pressure Is Associated With Early Brain Atrophy and Cognitive Decline: Modifying Effects of APOE- ε4.

Pulse Pressure Is Associated With Early Brain Atrophy and Cognitive Decline: Modifying Effects of APOE-ε4. Alzheimer Dis Assoc Disord. 2016 Jul-Sep;30(3):210-5 Authors: Nation DA, Preis SR, Beiser A, Bangen KJ, Delano-Wood L, Lamar M, Libon DJ, Seshadri S, Wolf PA, Au R Abstract We investigated whether midlife pulse pressure is associated with brain atrophy and cognitive decline, and whether the association was modified by apolipoprotein-E ε4 (APOE-ε4) and hypertension. Participants (549 stroke-free and dementia-free Framingham Offspring Cohort Study participants, age range=55.0 to 64.9 y) underwent baseline neuropsychological and magnetic resonance imaging (subset, n=454) evaluations with 5- to 7-year follow-up. Regression analyses investigated associations between baseline pulse pressure (systolic-diastolic pressure) and cognition, total cerebral volume and temporal horn ventricular volume (as an index of smaller hippocampal volume) at follow-up, and longitudinal change in these measures. Interactions with APOE-ε4 and hypertension were assessed. Covariates included age, sex, education, assessment interval, and interim stroke. In the total sample, baseline pulse pressure was associated with worse executive ability, lower total cerebral volume, and greater temporal horn ventricular volume 5 to 7 years later, and longitudinal decline in executive ability and increase in temporal horn ventricular volume. Among APOE-ε4 carriers onl...
Source: Alzheimer Disease and Associated Disorders - Category: Psychiatry Tags: Alzheimer Dis Assoc Disord Source Type: research