Associations between inflammation and cognitive function in African Americans and European Americans

To examine associations between specific inflammatory biomarkers and cognitive function in African Americans (AAs) and European Americans (EAs) with prevalent vascular risk factors.

Cross-sectional analysis using generalized estimating equations to account for familial clustering; standardized β-coefficients, adjusted for age, sex, and education are reported.

Community cohort study in Jackson, Mississippi, and Rochester, Minnesota.

Genetic Epidemiology Network of Arteriopathy (GENOA)-Genetics of Microangiopathic Brain Injury (GMBI) Study participants.

Associations between inflammation (high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin (IL)-6, soluble tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor 1 and 2 (sTNFR1, sTNFR2)) and cognitive function (global, processing speed, language, memory, and executive function) were examined in AAs and EAs (N = 1,965; aged 26-95, 64% women, 52% AA, 75% with hypertension).

In AAs, higher sTNFR2 was associated with poorer cognition in all domains (global: -0.11, P = .009; processing speed: -0.11, P < .001; language: -0.08, P = .002; memory: -0.09, P = .008; executive function: -0.07, P = .03); sTNFR1 was associated with slower processing speed (-0.08, P < .001) and poorer executive function (-0.08, P = .008); higher CRP was associated with slower processing speed (-0.04, P = .024), and higher IL6 was associated with poorer executive function (-0.07, P = .02). In EA, only higher sTNFR1 was associated with slower processing speed (-0.05, P = .007). Associations were not found between cognition and sTNFR2, CRP, or IL6 in EA.

In a population with high vascular risk, adverse associations between inflammation and cognitive function were especially apparent in AAs, primarily involving markers of TNFα activity.