COVID-19 and Cognitive Decline in Older Adults with High-Cardiovascular Risk: A Post Hoc Analysis

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Infectious Diseases
• Gerontology

Background:

• Cognitive decline is a known short-term effect of COVID-19 hospitalization.
• The long-term cognitive impact on older adults with high cardiovascular risk remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if COVID-19 is associated with late cognitive impairment in older adults with high cardiovascular risk.
• To evaluate post-COVID-19 cognitive performance and impairment longitudinally.

Main Methods:

• A post hoc analysis of 5,179 older adults from the PREDIMED-Plus trial was conducted.
• Cognitive performance was assessed using standardized neuropsychological tests across five domains before and after COVID-19 infection.
• Multivariable regression models analyzed the association between COVID-19 status and cognitive decline/impairment at a mean 50-week follow-up.

Main Results:

• No significant associations were found between COVID-19 status and post-COVID-19 cognitive scores in most domains.
• A marginal association was observed for better Global Cognitive Function (GCF) post-infection.
• The odds of cognitive impairment in the GCF domain were not associated with COVID-19 status.

Conclusions:

• COVID-19 status showed no association with cognitive impairment in older adults at high cardiovascular risk 50 weeks post-infection.
• This suggests that any short-term cognitive changes following COVID-19 may resolve over time.
• Findings should be interpreted cautiously due to the healthy lifestyle context of the PREDIMED-Plus trial.