title: Role of cardiovascular risk factors (CRF) in the patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI).
abstract: Few therapeutic options are available nowadays to improve the prognosis of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). There are rather several evidences in literature that controlling vascular risk factors may be an effective intervention for modifying the course of this disease. The aim of our study was to investigate the role of CRF in 50 patients with MCI according to Petersens's criteria, and to evaluate their influence on cognitive and behavioral features of the disease and on the development of dementia. Statistical analysis of the data showed that the 60% of the patients with MCI and CRF developed dementia, while 40% maintained the same cognitive conditions at the end of the study. Only 32% of the subjects without cardiovascular comorbidities developed dementia. The results of the study suggest that CRF play a key role in cognitive decline of patients with MCI. Patients with MCI and CRF showed not only worse cognitive performances, but also behavioral disorders, depression and functional disability. Patients with CRF had higher conversion rate to AD than the other group, with a mean disease-free period 3 months shorter than the control group.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular, Respiratory, Nephrological and Geriatric Sciences Sapienza University of Rome, Umberto I, Policlinico di Roma. Viale del Policlinico 155, I-00161 Roma, Italy.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ettorre
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cerra
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Marigliano
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vigliotta
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vulcano
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fossati
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: De Benedetto
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Servello
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Andreozzi
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Marigliano
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology; D060825:Cognitive Dysfunction / Q000209:etiology*; D003704:Dementia / Q000209:etiology; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006949:Hyperlipidemias / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D013997:Time Factors