Cardiovascular Risk Scales Association with Cerebrospinal Fluid Alzheimer's Disease Biomarkers in Cardiovascular Low...

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Cardiology
• Biomarker research

Background:

• Cardiovascular risk factors are known contributors to Alzheimer's Disease (AD) development.
• Limited research compares overall cardiovascular risk with AD biomarkers, especially in low-risk populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between cardiovascular risk and pathological cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers of AD in a low cardiovascular risk population.
• To assess the utility of cardiovascular risk scales in identifying AD pathology.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study (2017-2020) including 233 adults aged 50-75.
• Patients categorized as controls (negative CSF AD biomarkers) or cases (positive CSF AD biomarkers).
• Measured CSF biomarkers (total tau, phosphorylated tau 181, amyloid ß42), cardiovascular risk (ERICE, SCORE2, Framingham), and explored Aß42/Aß40 ratio and neurofilaments (NfL).

Main Results:

• 76% of the sample had AD; AD patients exhibited higher cardiovascular risk than controls (p<0.05).
• ERICE and SCORE2 scales were significantly associated with AD presence, while Framingham was not.
• Elevated cardiovascular risk correlated with higher total tau and NfL levels, even after age adjustment.

Conclusions:

• Cardiovascular risk assessment is valuable for detecting neurodegenerative disorders, particularly its association with CSF total tau and NfL.
• ERICE and SCORE2 scales show promise for cardiovascular risk assessment in low-risk regions, aiding in cardiovascular control and neurodegenerative disease prevention.