Vascular and Microstructural Markers of Cognitive Pathology

In a study of 460 participants (70 ± 8 years), a research group from the Wake Forest University led by Claudia Coffin that arterial stiffness and high blood pressure are associated with cognitive decline and dementia. Higher arterial stiffness is associated with worse cognitive performance, particularly in executive function. The researchers suggest that arterial stiffness may be a potential target for prevention of vascular cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease as elevated blood pressure and arterial stiffness are associated with abnormalities in brain microstructure and macrostructure.