Cardiovascular and dementia risk scores and their association with dementia‐related biomarkers in a memory clinic population. (31st December 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Rosenberg, Anna; Solomon, Alina; Hagman, Göran; Wiggenraad, Fleur; Kivipelto, Miia
• Is Part Of: Alzheimer's & dementia. Volume 17(2021)Supplement 10
• Page Start: n/a
• Page End: n/a
• Publication Date: 2021-12-31
• 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.055978
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1552-5260

Abstract

Abstract: Background: Risk scores for dementia and cardiovascular disease (CVD) predict dementia development, but their link to underlying brain pathology remains unclear. This study explored the cross‐sectional associations between well‐validated CVD and dementia risk scores and dementia‐related cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and imaging markers in memory clinic patients without dementia, Method: The study population consisted of 207 patients with subjective cognitive impairment or mild cognitive impairment from the Karolinska University Hospital, Theme Aging, Memory Clinic, who had CSF (Aβ42, phosphorylated tau, total tau, neurofilament light chain NfL), visual MRI ratings (medial temporal lobe atrophy MTA, Fazekas for white matter lesions WML), and available clinical data to calculate risk scores. CVD risk score (FINRISK) was calculated for all patients; data for the CAIDE Dementia Risk Score (with and without APOE) were available for a subsample (N=88). The associations between risk scores and biomarkers were analyzed with linear regression (zero‐skewness log‐transformed CSF biomarkers as dependent variables) and ordinal regression (MTA and WML ratings as dependent variables). Risk scores were categorized into 3 similar‐sized groups (lower‐, intermediate‐, and higher‐risk groups; lower‐risk group used as reference), Result: Higher FINRISK score and CAIDE score (with APOE) were associated with lower levels of CSF Aβ42 (coefficients in the higher‐risk groups ‐0.05, p=0.02 for FINRISK and ‐0.08, p=0.04 for CAIDE). Higher CAIDE score (with APOE) was also associated with a lower CSF Aβ42/p‐tau ratio (coefficient ‐0.03, p=0.03 in the higher‐risk group). With respect to neuronal injury markers, a higher risk of CVD and dementia was associated with higher CSF NfL levels (coefficients in the higher‐risk groups 0.58, p<0.001 for FINRISK; 0.38, p=0.001 for CAIDE; 0.34, p=0.005 for CAIDE with APOE). Furthermore, higher‐risk patients had more pronounced MTA (OR 2.3, 95% CI 1.2–4.5 for FINRISK; OR 3.0, 95% CI 1.2–7.4 for CAIDE), and WML (OR 2.4, 95% CI 1.2–4.5 for FINRISK), Conclusion: Having a higher risk of CVD or dementia was associated with several dementia‐related CSF and imaging markers. Follow‐up studies are needed to explore the utility of different risk scores in assessing risk of cognitive decline and disease progression in memory clinic patients.