Association between cognitive impairment and cardiovascular burden in patients with severe mental disorder

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychiatry
• Cardiology

Background:

• Cognitive impairment is associated with increased cardiovascular risk (CVR) in the general population.
• Evidence linking cognition and vascular burden in severe mental disorders (SMD) is less consistent.
• Few studies have specifically examined the relationship between cognitive function and vascular burden in SMD patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the relationship between cognitive performance and vascular burden in patients diagnosed with severe mental disorders.
• To investigate if cognitive impairment is associated with increased vascular burden in an SMD cohort.

Main Methods:

• Sixty patients with SMD from a psychosocial rehabilitation center were included.
• Data collected included sociodemographic, clinical, laboratory, quality of life, and functionality characteristics.
• The study analyzed the association between cognitive performance and vascular burden.

Main Results:

• Cognitive impairment was identified in 55% of the SMD patients.
• Patients with cognitive impairment exhibited a significantly higher vascular burden compared to those without.
• Processing speed showed a moderate negative correlation with vascular burden (r = -0.457, p = 0.001).

Conclusions:

• Cognitive impairment in patients with severe mental disorders is significantly associated with a higher vascular burden.
• Clinical implications include the necessity of evaluating cardiovascular risk in all SMD patients.
• Psychoeducation programs for cardiovascular risk management should be tailored to address cognitive deficits in this population.