UCL Discovery
UCL home » Library Services » Electronic resources » UCL Discovery

Associations of carotid atherosclerosis with cognitive function and brain health: Findings from a UK tri-ethnic cohort study (Southall and Brent Revisited)

Anbar, Rayan; Jones, Siana; Chaturvedi, Nish; Sudre, Carole; Richards, Marcus; Sultan, Salahaden R; Hughes, Alun D; (2024) Associations of carotid atherosclerosis with cognitive function and brain health: Findings from a UK tri-ethnic cohort study (Southall and Brent Revisited). Atherosclerosis Plus , 55 pp. 39-46. 10.1016/j.athplu.2024.01.002. Green open access

[thumbnail of Richards_Associations of carotid atherosclerosis with cognitive function and brain health_VoR.pdf]
Preview
PDF
Richards_Associations of carotid atherosclerosis with cognitive function and brain health_VoR.pdf - Published Version

Download (3MB) | Preview

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Cognitive function has an important role in determining the quality of life of older adults. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is common in older people and may compromise cognitive performance; however, the extent to which this is related to carotid atherosclerosis is unclear. AIM: We investigated associations between carotid atherosclerosis and cognitive function and neuroimaging markers of brain health in a UK multi-ethnic community-based sample including older people of European, South Asian, and African-Caribbean ethnicity. METHODS: Carotid plaques and intima-media thickness (cIMT) were assessed using ultrasound in 985 people (mean age 73.2y, 56 % male). Associations of carotid atherosclerosis with cognitive function (memory, executive function, language and CSI-D, a global measure of cognitive state) and neuroimaging measures (total brain volume, hippocampal volume, white matter (WM) lesion volume and coalescence score) were analysed using regression analyses, with and without adjustment for potential confounders using two models: 1) adjustment for age, sex, and ethnicity; 2) model 1 plus education, physical activity category, body mass index, hypertension, diabetes, total and high density lipoprotein cholesterol, atrial fibrillation, smoking, previous CVD, alcohol consumption, and presence of chronic kidney disease. RESULTS: People with carotid plaque or higher cIMT had lower CSI-D score, poorer memory poorer executive function and higher WM lesion volume and coalescence. Language was poorer in people with plaque but was not correlated with cIMT. Associations with plaque were preserved after full adjustment (model 2) but relationships for cIMT were attenuated. Associations with other plaque characteristics were generally unconvincing after adjustment. CONCLUSIONS: This multi-ethnic cohort study provides evidence that presence of carotid plaque, is associated with poorer cognitive function and brain health.

Type: Article
Title: Associations of carotid atherosclerosis with cognitive function and brain health: Findings from a UK tri-ethnic cohort study (Southall and Brent Revisited)
Location: Netherlands
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
DOI: 10.1016/j.athplu.2024.01.002
Publisher version: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.athplu.2024.01.002
Language: English
Additional information: This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. The images or other third-party material in this article are included in the Creative Commons license, unless indicated otherwise in the credit line; if the material is not included under the Creative Commons license, users will need to obtain permission from the license holder to reproduce the material. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Keywords: Atherosclerosis, Brain atrophy, Carotid artery, Cognitive function, Intima-media thickness, White matter hyperintensity
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > Institute of Cardiovascular Science
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > Institute of Cardiovascular Science > Population Science and Experimental Medicine
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > Institute of Cardiovascular Science > Population Science and Experimental Medicine > MRC Unit for Lifelong Hlth and Ageing
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10187515
Downloads since deposit
15Downloads
Download activity - last month
Download activity - last 12 months
Downloads by country - last 12 months

Archive Staff Only

View Item View Item