Takeaway
Independent of major cardiovascular risk factors, subclinical atherosclerosis (as measured by carotid intima-media thickness [c-IMT]), is associated with worse cognitive function.
Why this matters?
Arterial stiffening and atherosclerosis of large arteries can impact blood flow to the brain, eventually leading to neuronal damage and neurodegeneration, and can serve as a marker of emerging Alzheimer’s disease or related dementias.
The effects of midlife c-IMT on cognition has not been well-studied, with midlife being a less studied, yet critical, time-window for the early pathogenesis of dementia.