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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2017 Feb 17.
Published in final edited form as: Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2015 Mar 28;53:121–130. doi: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2015.03.011

Table 2.

Summary of study results on the association between cfPWV, baPWV and local carotid stiffness on the one hand and cognitive impairment on the other

Reference Index n Age(y) Standardized effect estimate or direction of associationa Adjustments
Dementia Global
score		 Memory Processing
speed		 EF/A Age Blood
pressure
Cross-sectional studies (15 studies)
Poels et al., 2007 b cfPWV 3,714 72 + + +* x x
Tsao et al., 2013 cfPWV 1,578 61 β −0.01 β 0.07 x x
Zhong et al., 2013 cfPWV 1,433 75 +* +* + + x
Mitchell et al., 2011 cfPWV 668 75 β 0.10* β −0.03 β 0.08 x x
Watson et al., 2011 cfPWV 552 73 β 0.11* β 0.07 β 0.12* x x
Elias et al., 2009 cfPWV 409 61 = = β 0.13* x x
Muller et al., 2007 cfPWV 396 60 β 0.01 β 0.02 β 0.01 x
Sugawara et al., 2010 baPWV 388 69 + x x
Kim et al., 2009 baPWV 370 55 =
Fuijwara et al., 2005 baPWV 352 77 +* x x
Singer et al., 2013 cfPWV 319 80 β −0.05 β 0.20 β 0.05 β −0.03 x x
Hanon et al., 2005 cfPWV 308 78 OR 2.63* +* x x
Scuteri et al., 2013 cfPWV 280 78 +* x
Fukuhara et al., 2006 baPWV 203 85 +* x x
Kearney-Schwartz etal., 2009 cfPWV 198 69 = =
Longitudinal studies (4 studies)
Poels et al., 2007 b cfPWV 2,767 71 HR 0.91 OR 0.93c OR 1.09c OR 1.10c x x
Zeki Al Hazzouri etal., 2013/ Watson etal., 2011d cfPWV 2,488 74 +* + − x x
Benetos et al., 2012 cfPWV 873 88 +* x x
Waldstein et al., 2008 cfPWV 582 54 +* +* + + x x

Studies are ordered from largest to smallest sample size.

a

If available, (fully adjusted) standardized effect estimates are presented. If not, direction of association is presented. Mean effect estimates are presented if multiple results were available for the same cognitive domain.

+: greater arterial stiffness associated with worse cognitive function

−: greater arterial stiffness associated with better cognitive function

=: no association between arterial stiffness and cognitive function; direction of association not indicated in original manuscript.

*

P<.05

b

Poels et al., 2007 also evaluated the association between carotid stiffness and cognitive impairment; results for carotid stiffness were qualitatively similar to results for carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity.

c

Cognitive decline specified as >−1SD change of the mean difference between examinations.

d

Studies based on an overlapping study population (health, aging, and body composition study). Zeki Al Hazzouri et al., 2013 describes the association between carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity and global cognitive decline in the total population (n=2,488). Watson et al., 2011 describes in a subsample (n=522) the association between carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity and global cognitive decline, memory and processing speed.

y = years; EF/A = executive function/attention; OR = odds ratio; HR = hazard ratio; cfPWV = carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity; carotid = local carotid stiffness; baPWV = brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity