Relationship Between Pulse Wave Velocity and Cognitive Impairment in Kidney Transplant Recipients

Kidney transplant recipients are at higher risk of developing atherosclerosis compared with the general population. Arterial stiffness, a key feature of atherosclerosis, is common in these patients. Cognitive impairment is also more prevalent among kidney transplant recipients and may be linked to the atherosclerotic process. We evaluated the relationship between arterial stiffness and cognitive impairment in kidney transplant recipients.

This cross-sectional study included 112 kidney transplant recipients and 112 healthy controls aged 18 years or older. Arterial stiffness was assessed using pulse wave velocity measured between the carotid and femoral arteries. Cognitive function was evaluated with the Montreal-Cognitive Assessment and the Mini-Mental State Examination. We analyzed demographic data, comorbidities, medical history, medications, and laboratory results for transplant recipients.

Cognitive impairment was detected in 14% of kidney transplant recipients based on the Mini-Mental State Examination and in 31% based on the Montreal-Cognitive Assessment; no people in the control group showed impairment on MMSE, and only 7% scored below normal on MoCA. A significant correlation was observed between pulse wave velocity and cognitive function test scores. Higher pulse wave velocity was independently associated with an increasedrisk of cognitive impairment, as determined by the Mini-Mental State Examination.

To our knowledge, this study is the first to demonstrate a relationship between pulse wave velocity and cognitive function as measured by the Mini-Mental State Examination and the Montreal-Cognitive Assessment in kidney transplant recipients. These results suggest that cerebrovascular disease may contribute to cognitive impairment in this population.