Age-related decline in peripheral vascular health predicts cognitive impairment.

Preclinical studies demonstrate that generalized endothelial cell dysfunction and microvascular impairment are potentially reversible causes of age-related vascular cognitive impairment and dementia (VCID). The present study was designed to test the hypothesis that severity of age-related macro- and microvascular dysfunction measured in the peripheral circulation is an independent predictor of cognitive performance in older adults. In this study, we enrolled 63 healthy individuals into young (< 45 years old) and aged (> 65 years old) groups.