Cardiovascular disease and cognitive decline in postmenopausal women- results from the Women’s Health Initiative Memory Study
The number of individuals suffering from cardiovascular diseases has increased over the last few decades making cardiovascular-related death the leading cause of death in developed countries. Simultaneously, the number of people affected by mild cognitive impairment or dementia has been steadily growing with cognitive decline posing a significant threat and health burden to aging individuals.
Previous studies have examined the association between atherosclerotic disease and the risk for developing dementia or mild cognitive impairment.2,3 It is now widely accepted that atherosclerosis is an important cause of many vascular diseases that may also alter cognitive functioning by poten- tially chronically lowering cerebral perfusion and by affecting the neurovascular unit.4 Additionally, several population
