title: Cardiopulmonary fitness is associated with cognitive performance in patients with coronary artery disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the association between cardiopulmonary fitness and cognitive performance in subjects with coronary artery disease (CAD).
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional observational study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Outpatient cardiac rehabilitation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty-one subjects with CAD.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cardiopulmonary fitness was assessed by measuring peak oxygen uptake (VO(2Peak) ) in a standardized exercise stress test. The fraction of the predicted age and sex norm for VO(2Peak) was computed for each patient. A battery of neuropsychological tests including the Stroop, Trail-Making Test Part B, Digit Symbol Coding, Revised Brief Visuospatial Memory Test, California Verbal Learning Test 2nd Edition, and Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) was administered, from which composite Z-scores were computed for tasks involving executive function and memory.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Executive function, memory, and MMSE scores were correlated with VO(2Peak) , but only performance in the executive domain was independently associated with VO(2Peak) in multiple linear regression. In a multiple linear regression model controlling for potential clinical confounders, VO(2Peak) (β=.666, P<.001) and covariates accounted for 36% of the variance in executive function scores.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Poorer VO(2Peak) is associated with poorer cognition, particularly executive function, in subjects with CAD independent of other cardiac risk factors. Cardiopulmonary fitness may be a protective factor for cognition in patients with CAD.
authors.affiliation: Neuropsychopharmacology Research Group, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Walter
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Swardfager
authors.forename: Nathan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Herrmann
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Marzolini
authors.forename: Mahwesh
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Saleem
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kiss
authors.forename: Prathiba
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Shammi
authors.forename: Paul I
authors.initials: PI
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.forename: Krista L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Lanctôt
mesh_terms: D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D056344:Executive Function / Q000502:physiology; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010101:Oxygen Consumption / Q000502:physiology*; D012737:Sex Factors