Key result
A coronary artery calcium score ≥ 400 was associated with a significantly higher odds of having a high risk for late-life dementia compared to a score of 0 (OR 2.30).
Why the study?
Coronary atherosclerosis and cognitive impairment share similar risk factors, but the relationship between coronary artery calcium and cognitive function or dementia risk in Chinese populations required investigation.
Does coronary artery calcification correlate with cognitive function and high risk of dementia in a Chinese community-based population?
Cross-Sectional (n=1,332)
No
Does coronary artery calcification correlate with cognitive function and high risk of dementia in a Chinese community-based population?
Odds Ratio: 2.3 (95% CI 1.56–4.56)
Absolute Event Rate: 24.79% vs 4.67%
p-value: p=0.014
Coronary artery calcification is independently associated with worse verbal memory and global cognitive function, and can moderately identify individuals at high risk for late-life dementia.
CACS may flag higher dementia risk in community cohorts; leaves open clinical utility pending prospective validation.
BACKGROUND: Coronary atherosclerosis and cognitive impairment are both age-related diseases, with similar risk factors. Coronary artery calcium (CAC), a marker of coronary atherosclerosis, may play a role in early detection of individuals prone to cognitive decline. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between CAC and cognitive function, and the capability of CAC to identify participants with a high risk of dementia in a Chinese community-based population. METHODS: A total of 1332 participants, aged 40-80 years and free of dementia from a community located in Beijing were included. All participants completed neurocognitive questionnaires and noncontrast CT examinations. Cognitive performance tests (including verbal memory, semantic fluency, executive function, and global cognitive function tests), the Cardiovascular Risk Factors, Aging, and Incidence of Dementia (CIDE) risk score, and the CAC score (CACS) were evaluated by questionnaires and CT. A CAIDE score ≥ 10 was considered to indicate a high risk of dementia in late-life. Participants were divided into three groups according to CACS (0, 1-399, ≥ 400). RESULTS: < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: CAC, a marker of subclinical atherosclerosis, was significantly associated with cognitive performance in verbal memory and global cognitive function. CAC had a moderate capability to identify participants with a high risk of dementia, independent of age, education, and other risk factors.
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Ma et al. (2021) conducted a cross-sectional in Cognitive Impairment / Dementia Risk (n=1,332). Coronary artery calcium score ≥ 400 vs. Coronary artery calcium score = 0 was evaluated on High risk of late-life dementia (CAIDE score ≥ 10) (OR 2.30, 95% CI 1.56-4.56, p=0.014). A coronary artery calcium score ≥ 400 was associated with a significantly higher odds of having a high risk for late-life dementia compared to a score of 0 (OR 2.30).
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