# Changes in arterial stiffness, cognition and dementia risk in a diverse cohort

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL · 2020 · $707,362

## Abstract

Central arterial stiffness and increased blood flow pulsatility alter microvasculature structure and function in the
brain contributing to hypoperfusion and end-organ damage. Repeated occurrences of microvascular ischemia
reportedly lead to white matter hyperintensities, focal brain infarcts, and brain atrophy that contribute to
cognitive impairment and the risk of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer's disease-related
dementias. While central artery stiffness is associated with impaired cognitive function and abnormalities on
cerebral magnetic resonance imaging, no reports to date have examined the effect of changes in arterial
stiffness and pulsatility on changes in brain structure, cognitive function, risk of MCI or dementia in community-
dwelling older adults, nor have the important roles of gender and race in these associations been assessed.
We propose to address these gaps in an ancillary study to the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities –
Neurocognitive Study (ARIC-NCS), an ongoing cohort study of well characterized individuals aged 70-89 years
at baseline in 2011-2013, with repeat examinations to be conducted after 5 years in African American and
white men and women.
The 2016-2018 re-examination of 5,058 members of the ARIC-NCS cohort will include in-depth psychometric
assessments, biologic and behavioral traits, and classification of MCI and dementia. This ancillary study will
add repeat measures of arterial stiffness and pulsatility standardized to those measured in 2011-2013. Cohort
members will thus be characterized on the rate of change in central arterial stiffness and pulsatility over the
course of 5 years and the modifiable determinants of their temporal change. Associations will be quantified
between these changes in central arterial stiffness and pulsatility with changes in white matter hyperintensities,
incident focal cerebral infarcts, domain-specific cognitive function, and 5-year incidence of MCI and dementia.
Associations are hypothesized to be stronger among those with MCI at baseline, among women, and among
African Americans.
This cost-efficient ancillary study in response to PAR-15-356 will contribute novel, prospective information to
the limited knowledge base on the effects of central arterial stiffness and pulsatility on brain structure and
function in older adults, and for the first time address these questions in a large sample of African Americans, a
population burdened with greater arterial stiffness, MCI and dementia in older age. Accumulating evidence on
the ability to modify arterial stiffness and pulsatility through changes in lifestyle and by targeted blood pressure
control adds significance to these questions toward efforts to reduce the population burden of MCI and
dementia, and in the promotion of cognitive resilience in our aging population.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9861212
- **Project number:** 5R01AG053938-04
- **Recipient organization:** UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL
- **Principal Investigator:** Michelle Meyer
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $707,362
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2016-09-15 → 2022-11-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9861212

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9861212, Changes in arterial stiffness, cognition and dementia risk in a diverse cohort (5R01AG053938-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-27 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9861212. Licensed CC0.

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