title: Cardiovascular risk factors as potential markers for mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is an early stage of cognitive decline that has a significant risk of converting to dementia. Cardiovascular pathology appears to have a major impact in cognitive decline, and it is clear that early identification and correction of cardiovascular morbidity could have a major impact on cognitive functioning.
  
  
  METHODS
  Our study was conducted in order to identify some cardiovascular risk factors among patients with cognitive decline (MCI or Alzheimer disease-AD) and to find if there is any correlation with the degree of cognitive decline. We evaluated the body mass index, total cholesterol, hypertension, history of smoking, alcohol consumption and diabetes mellitus in patients with MCI and AD, compared with an age-matched control group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Regarding the body mass index, we observed a progressive decrease in patients with MCI and AD, in comparison with the control group. Similar aspects were also observed in the case of cholesterol levels, only that post hoc analysis revealed no significantly statistical differences between MCI and AD groups. The systolic blood pressure was increased in the patients with MCI and AD. Also, as in the case of cholesterol levels, post hoc analysis revealed no significantly statistical differences between MCI and AD groups. Pearson's correlation showed significant connections between the cardiovascular risk factors and the results of the cognitive evaluation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results constitute additional evidence that cardiovascular risk factors are involved in cognitive regression. This finding could have an important impact on the management of dementia.
authors.affiliation: Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, Iasi, Romania.
authors.forename: Alin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ciobica
authors.forename: Manuela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Padurariu
authors.forename: Walther
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Bild
authors.forename: Cristinel
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Stefanescu
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D060825:Cognitive Dysfunction / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D048909:Diabetes Complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D013223:Statistics as Topic
chemical_list: D002784:Cholesterol