Cross-sectional and longitudinal relations between cardiovascular health and
cognitive function in minority elders
 
   Lead Investigator:    Jeannine Skinner
   Institution      :    Vanderbilt University Medical Center
   E-Mail           :    jeannine.s.skinner@vanderbilt.edu
   Proposal ID      :    329


   Publications:


1  Skinner J, Liu D, Xu M, Gifford K, Jefferson A
   Stroke Risk Profile as a Predictor of Cognition in Minority Elders
   Abstract  J Int Neuropsychol Soc,20:S90,2014,

   PUBLISHED





   Proposal Description:
   Minority older adults represent one of the fastest growing segments of the        population and are at disproportionate risk for developing Alzheimer???s          disease. One explanation for such increased risk is that minority elders have a   higher prevalence of cardiovascular disease risk factors and poorer health        outcomes.  Previous studies examining racial/ethnic differences in                cardiovascular health and trajectories of cognitive aging have generally          compared White older adults to elders from diverse minority groups. Such a        comparison creates methodological challenges in detecting differences in and      among underrepresented minority groups by assuming homogeneity.  Health           disparity research to date suggests some minority groups have similar             sociocultural experiences, similar prevalence rates of cardiovascular disease     risk factors, and comparable trends in health outcomes.  Therefore, an            investigation of cardiovascular disease burden and cognitive aging trajectories   between minority groups may yield a better and more nuanced understanding of      differences and similarities in the interrelations between cardiovascular         health and cognitive function. The aim of this study is to cross-sectionally      and longitudinally relate cardiovascular risk factors to cognitive and            neuropathological markers of neurodegeneration in a heterogeneous sample of       minority older adults. Findings from this study will help to advance the          current knowledge about cardiovascular health and minority cognitive aging.