Heart disease and vascular risk factors in the cognitively impaired elderly: Implications for Alzheimer's dementia

The term "cardiogenic dementia" was introduced a few decades ago to indicat e an alteration of consciousness and cognition due to heart disease. Althou gh this term is now disused, the relationship between cardiovascular diseas e and cognitive impairment is currently of great interest, not only for its potential therapeutic implications, but also for the recently recognized i mportant role that vascular factors appear to play in Alzheimer's disease. The aims of this review are therefore 1) to show data supporting the role o f cardiac disease - namely congestive heart failure, myocardial infarction and atrial fibrillation - and other vascular risk factors - i.e., hypertens ion and diabetes - in the development or worsening of cognitive impairment; 2) to highlight recent observations on the relationship between presence a nd severity of congestive heart failure / myocardial infarction / atrial fi brillation and Alzheimer's disease; and 3) to uncover the type of studies n eeded in this field in order to facilitate a more precise algorithm of deme ntia prevention as well as intervention in demented patients with cardiovas cular disease. (C) 2001, Editrice Kurtis.