Cardiovascular risk factors and inflammatory activity among centenarians with and without dementia

A better knowledge of the differences existing between individuals who maintain cognition up to 100 years of age or more and those of the same age who present dementia syndrome may be of help in understanding the dementia of the very elderly people. The aim of this study was to assess cardiovascular risk factors and inflammatory markers among centenarians with and without dementia. A population-based cross-sectional study was conducted on centenarians residing in a middle-size city. Volunteers were evaluated by comprehensive geriatric assessment at home. General laboratory examinations were performed and cardiovascular risk and inflammatory activity markers were determined. Mean subject age was 101 ± 2 years, and 82 % were women. Assessment of dementia syndrome revealed that 36.4 % of the centenarians had preserved cognition. Centenarians with dementia had lower schooling (p < 0.01), lower body mass index (p = 0.02) and higher homocysteine levels (p < 0.01) and tended to have a lower systolic blood pressure (p = 0.05). Regarding the markers of inflammatory activity, demented subjects had high levels of interleukin-6 (p < 0.01), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (p = 0.02), and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (p = 0.01) and lower albumin levels (p = 0.02) compared to centenarians without dementia. Concluding, centenarians with preserved cognition had better nutritional status, lower homocysteinemia, tendency to higher blood pressure and lower inflammatory activity compared to demented subjects.