Atherosclerosis and Dementia

Abstract

Background and Purpose—: Previous ultrasound-based studies have shown an association between carotid artery atherosclerosis and dementia. Our aim was to investigate this association using postmortem examination. Methods—: Postmortem morphometric measurements of carotid stenosis and intima-media thickness were performed in individuals with dementia (n=112) and control subjects (n=577). Multivariate logistic regression models were applied. Results—: High-grade left internal carotid stenosis (≥70%) was associated with increased odds for dementia (OR, 2.30; 95% CI, 1.14–4.74; P =0.02). Intima-media thickness was not associated with dementia. Conclusions—: The likelihood of dementia is increased with high-grade left internal carotid artery atherosclerosis after adjusting for demographic and cardiovascular risk factors.