Association between coronary artery calcification and cognitive function in a Chinese community-based population

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Neurology
• Gerontology

Background:

• Coronary atherosclerosis and cognitive impairment are common age-related diseases with shared risk factors.
• Coronary artery calcium (CAC) serves as a marker for coronary atherosclerosis.
• Investigating CAC's role in cognitive decline and dementia risk is crucial for aging populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the association between CAC and cognitive function in a Chinese community.
• To assess CAC's ability to identify individuals at high risk for dementia.

Main Methods:

• 1332 participants aged 40-80 without dementia underwent cognitive tests and CT scans.
• Coronary artery calcium score (CACS) and Cardiovascular Risk Factors, Aging, and Incidence of Dementia (CIDE) risk score were assessed.
• Participants were grouped by CACS: 0, 1-399, and ≥ 400.

Main Results:

• Adjusted analysis revealed CACS significantly correlated with poorer verbal memory and global cognitive function.
• Prevalence of high dementia risk (CAIDE score ≥ 10) increased with CACS groups (4.67% to 24.79%).
• CAC demonstrated moderate capability in identifying high dementia risk (AUC = 0.70).

Conclusions:

• CAC is significantly associated with cognitive performance, specifically verbal memory and global cognitive function.
• CAC independently predicts high dementia risk, offering a potential tool for early identification.
• Findings highlight the link between subclinical atherosclerosis and cognitive health in aging.