Midlife measures of central obesity and of hypertension linked to cognitive decline with age
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The hypothesis that midlife obesity might modulate the impact of conventional cardiovascular risk factors (CVRF) on cognitive impairment was tested in the community-based Framingham Offspring Study sample. To this end, indices of obesity (BMI and waist-hip ratio [WHR]) and baseline CVRF levels were ascertained, at examination cycle 4 (1988-90), in a total of 1814 subjects of both sexes, 40-69 years of age. Twelve years later, obesity and hypertension were related to the score on each of the 8 neurocognitive tests measured. The results revealed that midlife measures of central obesity defined as WHR in the uppermost quartile (WHR Q4) and of hypertension were each significantly related to poorer performance on executive function and visuomotor skills. The relation of hypertension to neurocognitive performance was significantly modified by WHR, hypertension being associated with a marked adverse performance in WHR Q4, but not in WHR Q1-Q3. Measures of verbal memory were neither related to hypertension nor to obesity in the patient population studied. Addressing the issue of midlife hypertension and central obesity may be part of strategies to reduce age-related cognitive decline.
Abstract
