Longitudinal associations between use of cardiovascular medications and cognitive function in three longitudinal studies of aging in Sweden

Introduction: There is no curative treatment available for cognitive impairment. Some cardiovascular (CV) medications have been associated with attenuating the risk. The associations however are inconclusive.Aim: To determine the longitudinal associations between beta blockers, calcium channel blockers, and lipid lowering drugs and cognitive function.Methods: The study included 1,094 individuals with 3,995 repeated measurements, from the harmonization of three registry cohorts, from 1986 to 2014. The information about taking cardiovascular medications were self-reported. Cognitive function abilities were presented as a score derived from in-person cognition testing including four distinct types of cognitive tests. Conditional generalized estimating equations (cGEE) were used to estimate the associations between medications’ use and cognitive function. Interaction and stratification analysis by sex were performed.Results: In the first assessment, the mean age of the participants was 70.59 years. In the multi adjusted cGEE model, beta blockers (beta [β]: 0.67, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.19 to 1.15) and lipid modifying medications (β: 0.80, 95% CI: 0.29 to 1.31) were associated with higher mean cognitive function score. The results from calcium channel blockers were inconclusive. The use of lipid modifying agents were associated with higher mean cognitive function for men, and the use of beta blockers were associated with higher cognition for women. However, the likelihood of sex modifying the association was inconclusive.Conclusion: This study suggests that beta blockers and lipid modifying agents are associated with higher cognitive function. Precaution should be taken while interpreting the results as the associations might still be confounded by indication.