Associations between Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Cognitive Function: A Cross-Sectional Study of Twins in the UK
Swarna Vishwanath1, Ellen J Thompson2,3, Rose S Penfold2,4
1School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, swarna.vishwanath@monash.edu.
Gerontology
|April 16, 2026
Summary
Shared genetic or environmental factors, not cardiovascular risk factors themselves, likely explain the link between cardiovascular health and cognitive function. This suggests a common underlying influence on both aspects of health.
Area of Science:
- Behavioral Science
- Genetics
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Cardiovascular risk factors (CVRF) are linked to cognitive impairment, but mechanisms are unclear.
- Twin studies can help disentangle genetic and environmental influences on this association.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if shared twin factors explain the association between CVRFs and cognitive function.
- Utilizing twin modeling to differentiate genetic and environmental contributions.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study using UK adult twin registry data (2013-2016).
- Assessed cognitive function (global cognition, recall, verbal fluency, processing speed, episodic memory, learning) and CVRFs (total cholesterol, HDL, SBP, T2D, smoking).
- Employed twin modeling to adjust for genetic and shared environmental factors.
Main Results:
- Cholesterol (TC, HDL) and SBP showed significant associations with cognitive tests.
- After adjusting for genetic and shared environmental factors in twin models, these associations between CVRFs and cognitive function disappeared.
- Within-pair analyses indicated shared factors, not individual CVRFs, drive the observed cognitive associations.
Conclusions:
- Higher total cholesterol, HDL, and lower SBP correlate with better cognitive performance.
- The observed associations between CVRFs and cognitive function are largely explained by shared genetic or environmental factors.
- These findings highlight the complex interplay of genetics and environment in cognitive health.
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