title: Cardiovascular risk factors and frontotemporal dementia: a case-control study.
abstract: Cardiovascular risk factors (CRF) were widely described as related to dementia. There are very few studies regarding this association in FTD. The objective of the study was to compare the frequency of CRF in our population with FTD and controls. 100 consecutive subjects with FTD diagnosis according to Lund-Manchester clinical criteria and 200 controls matched by age and sex were included between January 2003 to February 2007 at the Cognitive and Behavior Unit of Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires. Clinical evaluation, laboratory tests, brain images (CT/MRI), neuropsychological and neuropsychiatric assessment were performed. Multiple regression analysis was performed to analyze the association in CRF between FTD patients vs. controls. The mean age in FTD was 69.7 ± 0.9 vs. 70.1 ± 0.8 in controls (p 0.12). No difference in gender was observed between cases and controls. No differences were identified between patients and controls regarding hypertension (HTA) (65% vs. 67,3% p 0.44); dyslipidemia (57% vs. 54.7% p 0.74); obesity (39% vs. 27.6% p 0.14) and hypothyroidism (26% vs. 17.1% p 0.1). A significant difference was observed for Diabetes Mellitus (39% vs. 22.6% p 0.001). In our population, Diabetes Mellitus was associated as an independent risk factor for FTD. To our knowledge this is the first report in which CRF were evaluated prospectively in FTD patients. More studies are needed to confirm this finding in larger populations.
authors.affiliation: Cognitive and Behavior Unit, Department of Neurology, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires, Perón 4272, 1411 Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Angel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Golimstok
authors.affiliation: Cognitive and Behavior Unit, Department of Neurology, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires, Perón 4272, 1411 Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Nuria
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Cámpora
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Juan I
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Rojas
authors.affiliation: Cognitive and Behavior Unit, Department of Neurology, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires, Perón 4272, 1411 Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: María C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Fernandez
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology Department, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Elizondo
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology Department, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Enrique
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Soriano
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Edgardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cristiano
keywords: Cardiovascular risk factors; DBT; DM; Dementia; Diabetes; FTD; Frontotemporal dementia