Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40462085›Full record

ArticleBMC medicine2025

Associations of aortic and carotid artery health with cerebrovascular markers and cognition in older adults from the Whitehall II imaging study.

Georgina Hobden, Graham Reid, Scott T Chiesa, Congxiyu Wang, Lucy Jobbins, Clare E Mackay, Alun D Hughes, Klaus P Ebmeier, Jemma Pitt, Mika Kivimäki and 2 more

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In one paragraph

Article in BMC medicine, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Georgina Hobden *Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
Graham Reid *Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK. graham.reid@psy.ox.ac.uk.
Scott T ChiesaDepartment of Population Science and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Cardiovascular Science, UCL, London, UK.
Congxiyu WangDepartment of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.
Lucy JobbinsDepartment of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.
Clare E MackayDepartment of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.
Alun D HughesDepartment of Population Science and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Cardiovascular Science, UCL, London, UK.
Klaus P EbmeierDepartment of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.
Jemma PittDepartment of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.
Mika KivimäkiUCL Brain Sciences, University College London, London, UK.
Archana Singh-ManouxUCL Brain Sciences, University College London, London, UK.
Sana SuriDepartment of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.

Funding

Academy of Medical Sciences SBF006\1078alzheimer's research uk ARUK-RF2021B-006Alzheimer's Society 441British Heart Foundation PG/17/90/33415, SPG 2822621British Heart Foundation SBF006\1078Diabetes UK SBF006\1078Economic and Social Research Council ES/P000649/1Medical Research Council G1001354/1Medical Research Council MR/P023444/1, MC_UU_12019/1Wellcome TrustWellcome Trust SBF006\1078
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundCardiovascular disease has been associated with an increased dementia risk, but the underlying mechanisms for this heart-brain link are unclear. This study sought to examine associations between aortic and carotid artery structure with cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR), white matter hyperintensities (WMHs), and cognition in later-life.

methodsOne hundred sixty three participants (25.8% female) from the Whitehall II Imaging cohort completed two examinations (M ± SD age 68.2 ± 4.4 at Wave-1 and 76.9 ± 4.5 at Wave-2) of neuropsychological assessments and 3T brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) FLAIR scans to quantify WMHs. Wave-2 additionally included vascular sonography of the aorta and carotid artery, and 3T functional MRI scans to measure CVR (mean % change BOLD signal change during a CO

resultsLarger aortic diameter (ß = 0.38, SE = 0.11) and greater aortic stiffness (ß = 0.27, SE = 0.10) were associated with larger carotid diameter, independently of body size. Higher midlife FRS was associated with larger aortic and carotid diameters and increased carotid stiffness in old age. We observed notable artery-brain associations, such that larger aortic (ß = 0.17, SE = 0.06) and carotid diameters (ß = 0.11, SE = 0.05) were associated with larger WMH lesion volumes at Wave-2. Larger aortic diameter (ß = 0.08 SE = 0.03) and lower carotid compliance (ß = - 0.06, SE = 0.02) at Wave-2 were also associated with greater longitudinal increases in WMH volumes over the preceding 9 years. Higher stiffness and lower compliance of the aorta and carotid were associated with worse cognitive outcomes across a range of domains, and these associations were moderated by midlife FRS. Larger carotid diameter was associated with higher cerebrovascular reactivity (ß = 0.02, SE = 0.01), suggesting a potential compensatory pathway.

conclusionsAdverse structural and functional changes in the aorta and carotid artery were inter-related and associated with vascular brain lesions, cerebrovascular reactivity, and poorer cognitive outcomes in older age.

Indexed as

AortaCarotid ArteriesCognitionAgedCohort StudiesFemaleHumansMagnetic Resonance ImagingMaleMiddle AgedNeuropsychological TestsVascular StiffnessWhite MatterAortaCardiovascular risk factorsCarotidCognitionDementiaLongitudinal cohortMagnetic resonance imagingUltrasound

Identifiers

PMID40462085
PMCPMC12135225

What Socratic holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.