Pleiotropic effects between cardiovascular disease risk factors and measures of cognitive and physical function in long-lived adults.

ABSTRACT: Cardiovacular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death among older adults and is often accompanied by functional decline. It is unclear what is driving this co-occurrence, but it may be behavioral, environmental and/or genetic. We used a family-based study to estimate the phenotypic and shared genetic correlation between CVD risk factors and physical and cognitive functional measures. Participants (n = 1,881) were from the Long Life Family Study, which enrolled families based on their exceptional longevity (sample mean age = 69.4 years, 44% female). Cardiovascular disease risk factors included carotid vessel measures [intima-media thickness and inter-adventitial diameter], obesity [body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference], and hypertension [systolic and diastolic blood pressures].

SUBMITTER: Yudkovicz JJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8429644 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature