Cognitive Decline Preceding Incident Cardiovascular Events in Older Adults

Does cognitive decline begin prior to incident cardiovascular disease (CVD) events in older adults?In this case-control study, individuals who experienced a CVD event exhibited significantly faster cognitive decline across all cognitive domains compared with matched control participants, beginning between 3 and 8 years before the event. Processing speed declined earliest, with significant differences evident 8 years prior.These findings suggest that cognitive decline, particularly with regard to processing speed, may begin several years before a CVD event and may serve as an early indicator of future cardiovascular risk.

Corresponding Authors: Swarna Vishwanath, PhD (swarna.vishwanath@monash.edu), and Joanne Ryan, PhD (joanne.ryan@monash.edu), School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, 553 St Kilda Rd, Level 2, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia.

Link to the article in your story

We encourage you to link out to this article in your story using the link below. It includes an access token that will give free access to the article for your readers up to one year after publication. (The link will be live after the article publishes and embargo is lifted.)

Please see the article for additional information, including full author list, author contributions and affiliations, conflict of interest and financial disclosures, and funding and support.

Need more information? Contact us.