Cardiovascular disease risk factors and progression of Alzheimer's disease

Abstract

Background/aims: To assess if cardiovascular disease risk factors (CVDRF) are predictive factors for poorer evolution of Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients in terms of cognitive decline.

Methods: The Réseau de la maladie d'Alzheimer - France (REAL.FR) study is a prospective multicentre cohort which has recruited 686 community-dwelling patients presenting mild to moderate AD. The presence of CVDRF and associated treatments was recorded at baseline. The rate of cognitive decline of AD patients was assessed using the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) and the Alzheimer Disease Assessment Scale cognitive subscale (ADAS-Cog), after 2 years of follow-up.

Results: Of the 629 patients at baseline, 268 (42.6%) had no CVDRF, 256 (40.7%) reported 1 CVDRF and 105 (16.7%) reported 2-3. At inclusion, hypertension was present in 44.1% of patients, hypercholesterolaemia in 22.6% and diabetes in 9.4%. No statistically significant differences (p values of 0.9 for MMSE and 0.8 for ADAS-Cog) in mean cognitive decline after 2 years of follow-up were found comparing different subgroups of patients with CVDRF to the non-CVDRF group.

Conclusions: Although there is evidence that CVDRF contribute to the onset of AD, these results suggest that CVDRF may not be part of the underlying processes that affect progression of AD.