H - 07 Associations among Cardiovascular Factors, Mood, and Cognition in Older Latinos: Preliminary Results from the Boston Latino Aging Study.

OBJECTIVE: Cardiovascular risk factors and depression are prevalent in Latino populations and have been associated with an increased risk of cognitive decline and dementia. Adults with depressive symptoms also have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Understanding the link between these factors and how they impact dementia risk among Latino cohorts is critical for the development of preventative interventions. We examined the associations among cardiovascular risk factors, depression, and cognitive status in older Latinos living in Massachusetts.

METHOD: A total of 42 participants enrolled in the Boston Latino Aging Study (BLAST; n = 28, mean age = 65.36, SD = 7.35) and the Harvard Aging Brain Study Latino cohort (LHABS) (n = 14, mean age = 71.43, SD = 6.89) were included in the analyses. Participants completed a screening evaluation that included the Telephone Interview Cognitive Screen (TICS), the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), blood sampling to assess cholesterol, fasting glucose, and triglyceride levels, and systolic/diastolic blood pressure measurements. Spearman correlations were used to determine associations among cardiovascular risk factors, depression (GDS), and cognitive status (TICS).

RESULTS: We found that triglycerides (r = -0.424, p = 0.005) and glucose (r = -0.317, p = 0.041) were negatively correlated with TICS. Systolic blood pressure (r = 0.325, p = 0.036) and fasting glucose (r = 0.327, p = 0.034) were positively correlated with GDS scores.

CONCLUSION(S): Preliminary results suggest a link between cardiovascular risk factors (e.g., elevated triglycerides and glucose) and worse cognitive status. Additionally, findings suggest cardiovascular risk factors may be related to depressive symptoms in older Latinos. Further work with larger samples of Latino participants is needed to confirm our findings and examine relevant associations with other risk factors.