Advancing prediction of age-related vascular cognitive impairment based on peripheral and retinal vascular health in a pilot study: a novel comprehensive assessment developed for a prospective workplace-based cohort (The Semmelweis Study)
Year: 2024
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: With a growing elderly population in the European Union, age-related diseases associated with unhealthy aging pose increasing public health challenges, including a loss of independence and heightened societal burdens. The Semmelweis Study, a prospective occupational cohort study in Hungary, seeks to identify determinants of unhealthy aging, focusing on the complex relationship between lifestyle, environmental, occupational factors, and the development of chronic age-associated diseases, including age-related vascular cognitive impairment (VCI). The primary objective of this pilot study was to establish a robust, high-throughput assessment methodology to comprehensively evaluate both peripheral and cerebrovascular health to provide a solid foundation for the forthcoming Semmelweis Study framework. The study involved 49 participants aged 23 to 87 years, and it assessed multi-domain cognitive performance through an automated battery of tests (CANTAB). Vascular health was comprehensively evaluated using laser speckle contrast imaging (LSCI), flow-mediated dilation (FMD), static and dynamic retinal vessel analysis (SVA, DVA), and measurements of vascular stiffness. The retinal microvasculature, which closely mirrors the cerebral circulation in anatomy, physiology, and pathophysiology, provided a unique window for examination. Optical imaging through SVA and DVA enables the identification of structural and functional changes in the central nervous system's microcirculation, which are highly relevant to the pathogenesis of VCI. Subsequently, the collected measures were integrated into vascular health indices using principal component analysis (PCA) and the relationship to the age and cognitive status of study participants was explored. These comprehensive vascular health indices demonstrated a correlation not only with age but also with cognitive performance. This methodology holds promise for providing novel insights into the intricate interplay between vascular and cognitive health within the context of the Semmelweis Study.
Source: GeroScience
Language: English
Subfield: Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $4,190
Funders: Presbyterian Health Foundation, Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology, Semmelweis Egyetem, National Institutes of Health, Nemzeti Kutatási, Fejlesztési és Innovaciós Alap, National Research, Development and Innovation Office, National Institute on Aging, National Cancer Institute, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute
Awards: G1175738181, G1225583845, G1249231945, G1377218891, G1603123972, G1898016419, G233216419, G2492469523, G2606335010, G2697612959, G2923601805, Time-restricted feeding (TRF) for prevention of age-related vascular cognitive impairment and dementia, G4027441995, G468745342, Radiation-induced astrocyte dysfunction and cognitive decline, G5533907939, G6101597503, G70098445, G732383843, G7386718853, Midlife Obesity, Neurovascular Senescence and Cognitive Decline, Cerebral microhemorrhages and gait abnormalities in aging, Targeting adipose tissue thermogenesis for age-related vascular cognitive impairment
OpenAlex ID: W4404752703