Do Arterial Hemodynamic Parameters Predict Cognitive Decline Over a Period of 2 Years in Individuals Older Than 80 Years Living in Nursing Homes? The PARTAGE Study

Objectives: Several studies have highlighted a link between vascular alterations and cognitive decline. The PARTAGE study showed that arterial stiffness as evaluated by carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) was associated with a more pronounced cognitive decline over a 1-year period in very old frail institutionalized individuals. The aim of the present analysis was to assess the role of hemodynamic parameters, such as blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR), cfPWV, and central/peripheral pulse pressure amplification (PPA) on cognitive decline over 2 years in very old frail individuals.

Methods: A total of 682 individuals from the PARTAGE study cohort, aged older than 80 years (mean age at inclusion: 87.5 ± 5.0 years) and living in French and Italian nursing homes, were analyzed. Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score was assessed at baseline (BL) and at the end of the first and second year of follow-up (2y-FU). Those with a decrease in MMSE of 3 or more points between BL and 2y-FU were considered as "decliners." The cfPWV and PPA at baseline were assessed with an arterial tonometer.

Results: After adjustment for baseline MMSE, HR, body mass index, age, education level, and activities of daily living (ADLs), cfPWV was higher and PPA lower in "decliners" compared with "nondecliners," whereas BP did not differ between the 2 groups. Logistic multivariate analysis also revealed that high cfPWV, low PPA, high HR, and low ADLs were all determinants of MMSE decline.

Conclusion: This 2-year longitudinal study in very old institutionalized individuals shows that arterial stiffness and high HR enabled us to identify subjects at higher risk of cognitive decline, whereas BP alone did not appear to have a significant predictive value. These findings highlight the contribution of vascular determinants in cognitive decline even in this very old population.