Peripheral vascular function, including endothelium-dependent measures, and dementia risk: The Framingham Heart Study.

Figures

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  FIGURE 1. Kaplan–Meier analysis for free survival of dementia, Alzheimer's disease (AD) dementia, and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in the tertiles of peripheral vascular function. Framingham Heart Study (FHS) participants were divided into three groups (T1, T2, and T3) based on the tertiles of peripheral vascular function, baseline brachial artery flow‐mediated dilation (FMD%) (A) and reactive hyperemia (RH) (B). Kaplan–Meier survival analysis was applied to survival free time before the onsets of dementia, AD, and MCI over 17 years of follow‐up. p values are shown.

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  FIGURE 2. Comparisons of plasma Alzheimer's disease biomarkers based on the tertiles of peripheral vascular function. Framingham Heart Study (FHS) participants were divided into three groups (T1, T2, and T3) based on the tertiles of peripheral vascular function, baseline brachial artery flow‐mediated dilation (FMD%) (A) and reactive hyperemia (RH) (B). The Z‐scores of plasma amyloid beta (Aβ) 42/Aβ40 ratio, total tau and phosphorylated tau 181 (p‐tau181) were log‐transformed and the levels compared among three tertiles using Kruskal–Wallis analysis with overall statistical p values. To compare with T1 group, p values of either T2 or T3 for statistical significance are shown; *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001, ****p < 0.0001.

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  FIGURE 3. Comparisons of brain volumes and cerebrovascular pathologies based on the tertiles of peripheral vascular function. Framingham Heart Study (FHS) participants were divided into three groups (T1, T2, and T3) based on the tertiles of peripheral vascular function: baseline brachial artery flow‐mediated dilation percentage (FMD%) (A) and reactive hyperemia (RH) (B). The Z‐scores of brain volumes were log‐transformed and the levels compared among three tertiles using Kruskal–Wallis analysis with overall statistical p values. The absence and presence of CMBs were analyzed using chi‐squared (χ 2) tests with overall p values. To compare with T1 group, p values of either T2 or T3 for statistical significance are shown, *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001, ****p < 0.0001. Brain volumes were measured by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). CMB, cerebral microbleed; FBV, frontal lobe brain volume; HPV, hippocampal volume; PBV, parietal lobe brain volume; TBV, temporal lobe brain volume; TCBV, total cerebral brain volume; WMH, white matter hyperintensity.