The role of cardiometabolic risk in the association between accumulation of affective symptoms across adulthood and midlife cognitive function: Developing topics. (7th December 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: John, Amber; Desai, Roopal; Richards, Marcus; Gaysina, Darya; Stott, Joshua
• Is Part Of: Alzheimer's & dementia. Volume 16(2020)Supplement 10
• Page Start: n/a
• Page End: n/a
• Publication Date: 2020-12-07
• Subjects: Alzheimer's disease -- Periodicals; Alzheimer Disease -- Periodicals; Dementia -- Periodicals; Démence; Maladie d'Alzheimer; Périodique électronique (Descripteur de forme); Ressource Internet (Descripteur de forme); 616.83
• DOI: 10.1002/alz.047521
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1552-5260

Abstract

Abstract: Background: Affective symptoms, such as depression and anxiety, are associated with cognition in midlife and later life. However, the role of cardiometabolic risk in this association has not been examined. The aim of this research was to investigate how cardiometabolic risk contributes to associations between affective symptoms and midlife cognition. Method: Data were used from the National Child Development Study (NCDS), a sample of people born in Britain during one week in 1958. Affective symptoms were assessed at ages 23, 33, and 42 and a measure of accumulation derived. A cardiometabolic risk score was calculated from nine cardiometabolic biomarkers at age 44. Measures of memory, verbal fluency, and information processing were available at age 50. Result: Fully adjusted path models indicated significant indirect associations between affective symptoms and midlife immediate memory (β=‐0.002, SE=0.001, p =.009), delayed memory (β=‐0.002, SE=0.001, p =.02) and verbal fluency (β=‐0.002, SE=0.001, p =.045) through cardiometabolic risk. Cardiometabolic risk did not predict subsequent affective symptoms or cognition at age 50. Conclusion: These findings suggest that cardiometabolic risk may play an important indirect role in the association between affective symptoms and cognitive function (memory and verbal fluency). Results contribute to understanding of biological mechanisms underlying associations between affective symptoms and cognitive ageing, which can have implications for early detection of, and intervention for, those at risk of poorer cognitive outcomes.