UC Davis

UNLABELLED: ABSTRACTObjectives:To assess the association between cardiovascular health and cognitive function among Mexican older adults. DESIGN: Nationally representative cross-sectional survey. SETTING: Households in Mexico. PARTICIPANTS: Individuals aged 50 years and older (n = 1,492) from the Mexico-SAGE project Wave 1. MEASUREMENTS: A continuous and a categorical index of cardiovascular health was calculated based on exercise, smoking, body mass index, and blood pressure ranging from 0 to 4. Cognitive function was obtained by averaging the standardized scores (z scores) of five psychometric tests. Associations were conducted using linear regression. RESULTS: The continuous index of cardiovascular health was not associated with cognitive function. Using the categorical index, participants with the best levels of cardiovascular (score of 4) health performed better on global cognitive function than groups with lower cardiovascular health (scores of 0, 0.41 SD; 1, 0.39 SD; and 2, 0.56 SD). The association was moderated by age, reaching significance only among those 50-64 years old. CONCLUSIONS: If longitudinal research confirms these findings, results would suggest that dementia-related policies in Mexico need to focus on achieving optimal levels of cardiovascular health, especially in midlife.