C-reactive protein and risk of cognitive decline: The REGARDS study

Markers of systemic inflammation are associated with increased risk of cognitive impairment, but it is unclear if they are associated with a faster rate of cognitive decline and whether this relationship differs by race. Our objective was to examine the association of baseline C-reaction protein (CRP) with cognitive decline among a large racially diverse cohort of older adults. Participants included 21,782 adults aged 45 and older (36% were Black, Mean age at baseline 64) from the REasons for Geographic And Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study. CRP was measured at baseline and used as a continuous variable or a dichotomous grouping based on race-specific 90th percentile cutoffs. Cognitive measures of memory and verbal fluency were administered every 2 years for up to 12 years. Latent growth curve models evaluated the association of CRP on cognitive trajectories, adjusting for relevant demographic and health factors. We found that higher CRP was associated with worse memory (B = -.039, 95% CI [-.065,-.014]) and verbal fluency at baseline (B = -.195, 95% CI [-.219,-.170]), but not with rate of cognitive decline. After covariate adjustment, the association of CRP on memory was attenuated (B = -.005, 95% CI [-.031,-.021]). The association with verbal fluency at baseline, but not over time, remained (B = -.042, 95% CI [-.067,-.017]). Race did not modify the association between CRP and cognition. Findings suggest that levels of CRP at age 45+, are a marker of cognitive impairment but may not be suitable for risk prediction for cognitive decline.