A Retrospective Exploratory Analysis on Cardiovascular Risk and Cognitive Dysfunction in Multiple Sclerosis.

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Cardiology
• Neuropsychology

Background:

• Cardiovascular comorbidities are known to impact cognitive function in the general population.
• The relationship between cardiovascular risk and cognitive performance in Multiple Sclerosis (MS) requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the association between cardiovascular risk factors and neuropsychological outcomes in patients with MS.
• To explore how cardiovascular risk influences specific cognitive domains in MS.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective study involving 69 MS patients.
• Framingham Risk Score calculated using age, sex, diabetes, smoking, blood pressure, and cholesterol.
• Cognitive function assessed using the Brief International Cognitive Assessment for MS (BICAMS), including SDMT, CVLT-II, and BVMT-R.

Main Results:

• An increased Framingham Risk Score correlated with lower scores on the California Verbal Learning Test-II (CVLT-II).
• Male sex and higher total cholesterol levels were associated with poorer verbal learning (CVLT-II scores).
• No significant associations were found between overall cardiovascular risk and the Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT) or Brief Visuospatial Memory Test-Revised (BVMT-R).

Conclusions:

• Cardiovascular risk is associated with verbal learning deficits in MS patients.
• Interventions targeting cardiovascular risk factors may be beneficial for cognitive health in MS management.