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. 2021 Apr 16;11(4):502.
doi: 10.3390/brainsci11040502.

A Retrospective Exploratory Analysis on Cardiovascular Risk and Cognitive Dysfunction in Multiple Sclerosis

Antonio Reia  1 , Martina Petruzzo  1 , Fabrizia Falco  1 , Teresa Costabile  1 , Matteo Conenna  1 , Antonio Carotenuto  1 , Maria Petracca  1 , Giuseppe Servillo  1 , Roberta Lanzillo  1 , Vincenzo Brescia Morra  1 , Marcello Moccia  1
Affiliations

A Retrospective Exploratory Analysis on Cardiovascular Risk and Cognitive Dysfunction in Multiple Sclerosis

Antonio Reia et al. Brain Sci. .

Abstract

Background: Cardiovascular comorbidities have been associated with cognitive decline in the general population.

Objectives: To evaluate the associations between cardiovascular risk and neuropsychological performances in MS.

Methods: This is a retrospective study, including 69 MS patients. For all patients, we calculated the Framingham risk score, which provides the 10-year probability of developing macrovascular disease, using age, sex, diabetes, smoking, systolic blood pressure, and cholesterol levels as input variables. Cognitive function was examined with the Brief International Cognitive Assessment for MS (BICAMS), including the Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT), the California Verbal Learning Test-II (CVLT-II), and the Brief Visuospatial Memory Test-Revised (BVMT-R).

Results: Each point increase of the Framingham risk score corresponded to 0.21 lower CVLT-II score. Looking at Framingham risk score components, male sex and higher total cholesterol levels corresponded to lower CVLT scores (Coeff = -8.54; 95%CI = -15.51, -1.57; and Coeff = -0.11; 95%CI = -0.20, -0.02, respectively). No associations were found between cardiovascular risk and SDMT or BVMT-R.

Conclusions: In our exploratory analyses, cardiovascular risk was associated with verbal learning dysfunction in MS. Lifestyle and pharmacological interventions on cardiovascular risk factors should be considered carefully in the management of MS, given the possible effects on cognitive function.

Keywords: cardiovascular; cognitive; multiple sclerosis; verbal learning.

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Conflict of interest statement

Roberta Lanzillo has received honoraria from Almirall, Biogen, Merck, Teva, Roche, Novartis, Sanofi-Genzyme, and Teva. A.C. has received research grants from Almirall, and honoraria form Novartis and Roche. Vincenzo Brescia Morra has received research grants from Italian MS Federation; and honoraria from Almirall, Bayer, Biogen, Merck, Roche, Novartis, Sanofi-Genzyme, and Teva. Marcello Moccia has received research grants from ECTRIMS-MAGNIMS, UK MS Society, and Merck; honoraria from Biogen, Merck, Novartis, and Roche; and consulting fees from Veterans Evaluation Services. Other authors have nothing to disclose. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to publish the results.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Cardiovascular risk and CVLT-II. Scatter plots show the association between the California Verbal Learning Test (CVLT-II) and the Framingham risk score (a), and total cholesterol levels (b); Box-and-whisker plot shows the association between CVLT-II and sex (c). Results are reported from a linear regression model (a) and a stepwise linear regression model (b,c).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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