Association between coronary artery calcification and cognitive function in a Chinese community-based population

Ya-Nan MA; Wu-Xiang XIE; Zhi-Hui HOU; Yun-Qiang AN; Xin-Shuang REN; Yan-Jun MA; Cheng-Long LI; Yang-Feng WU; Bin LU

doi:10.11909/j.issn.1671-5411.2021.07.002

Volume 18 Issue 7

Jul. 2021

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Article Navigation > Journal of Geriatric Cardiology > 2021 > 18(7): 514-522

Please cite this article as: MA YN, XIE WX, HOU ZH, AN YQ, REN XS, MA YJ, LI CL, WU YF, LU B. Association between coronary artery calcification and cognitive function in a Chinese community-based population. J Geriatr Cardiol 2021; 18(7): 514−522. DOI: 10.11909/j.issn.1671-5411.2021.07.002

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Please cite this article as: MA YN, XIE WX, HOU ZH, AN YQ, REN XS, MA YJ, LI CL, WU YF, LU B. Association between coronary artery calcification and cognitive function in a Chinese community-based population. J Geriatr Cardiol 2021; 18(7): 514−522. DOI: 10.11909/j.issn.1671-5411.2021.07.002

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Association between coronary artery calcification and cognitive function in a Chinese community-based population

doi: 10.11909/j.issn.1671-5411.2021.07.002

1.
Department of Radiology, Fuwai Hospital, Peking Union Medical College & Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences; State Key Lab and National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Beijing, China
2.
Peking University Clinical Research Institute, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, China

^*The authors contributed equally to this manuscript

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Corresponding author: wuyf@bjmu.edu.cn; blu@vip.sina.com
Publish Date: 2021-07-28

Abstract

Abstract

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 After adjusting for risk factors, CACS was significantly associated with verbal memory (r = −0.083, P = 0.003) and global cognitive function (r = −0.070, P = 0.012). The prevalence of a high risk of dementia in the subgroups of CACS = 0, 1−399, and ≥ 400 was 4.67%, 13.66%, and 24.79%, respectively (P < 0.001). Individuals with CACS ≥ 400 had a higher risk of CAIDE score ≥ 10 [OR = 2.30 (1.56, 4.56), P = 0.014] than those with CACS = 0. The receiver-operating characteristic curves showed that the capability of CACS to identify participants with a high risk of dementia was moderate (AUC = 0.70, 95% CI: 0.67−0.72, P < 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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