Arterial Stiffness and Cardiorespiratory Fitness Are Associated with Cognitive Function in Older Adults

Justin Mason and colleagues reported that, in older adults with high and normal aortic stiffness, those with high stiffness had greater declines in vascular and cognitive function. The study suggests that reducing aortic stiffening and maintaining cardiorespiratory fitness could help slow down age-related cognitive decline. The study also found that executive function, psychomotor speed, visual scanning, and perception are the cognitive domains most affected by arterial stiffening.