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Relations of arterial stiffness and endothelial function to brain aging in the community
Tsao CW, Seshadri S, Beiser AS, Westwood AJ, Decarli C, Au R, Himali JJ, Hamburg NM et al.. Neurology, 2013-08-09
Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models
Objective To determine the association of arterial stiffness and pressure pulsatility, which can damage small vessels in the brain, with vascular and Alzheimer-type brain aging. Methods Stroke- and dementia-free Framingham Offspring Study participants (n = 1,587, 61 ± 9 years, 45% male) underwent study of tonometric arterial stiffness and endothelial function (1998-2001) and brain MRI and cognition (1999-2002). We related carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (CFPWV), mean arterial and central pulse pressure, and endothelial function to vascular brain aging by MRI (total cerebral brain volume [TCBV], white matter hyperintensity volume, silent cerebral infarcts) and vascular and Alzheimer-type cognitive aging (Trails B minus Trails A and logical memory-delayed recall, respectively). Results Higher CFPWV was associated with lower TCBV, greater white matter hyperintensity volume, and greater prevalence of silent cerebral infarcts (all p 0.05). Conclusions Greater arterial stiffness and pressure pulsatility are associated with brain aging, MRI vascular insults, and memory deficits typically seen in Alzheimer dementia. Future investigations are warranted to evaluate the potential impact of prevention and treatment of unfavorable arterial hemodynamics on neurocognitive outcomes.
Key findings
- Results Higher CFPWV was associated with lower TCBV, greater white matter hyperintensity volume, and greater prevalence of silent cerebral infarcts (all p 0.05).
- Conclusions Greater arterial stiffness and pressure pulsatility are associated with brain aging, MRI vascular insults, and memory deficits typically seen in Alzheimer dementia.
Why it matters
In 1,587 stroke- and dementia-free participants, greater arterial stiffness was associated with lower total brain volume, more white matter hyperintensities, silent infarcts, and worse memory. This is an observational study and does not show that treating arterial stiffness prevents or cures Alzheimer's.
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Study details
- Participants1,587
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 55/100
Published in a leading specialty journal. Scored zero for study design, effect reported and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 9 / 10 | Tier 2 — leading specialty journal (Neurology) |
| Journal's citation record | 4 / 4 | Neurology: journal h-index 525 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2013 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 3 / 4 | 1,587 participants |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (participant count stated) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 5 / 7 | Cited 254 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 16.9 citations a year over 15 year(s) since 2013 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 15.5× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 2 / 6 | Cited by 6 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 2 / 4 | Cited 37 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Gary F. Mitchell: h-index 93 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | University of California, Davis: institution h-index 1,257 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 4 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 23935179) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 55 / 100 | — |
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Read the original
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Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record's author list ends in “et al.”, so not every author is named. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Tsao, C. W., Seshadri, S., Beiser, A. S., Westwood, A. J., Decarli, C., Au, R., et al. (2013). Relations of arterial stiffness and endothelial function to brain aging in the community. Neurology. https://doi.org/10.1212/wnl.0b013e3182a43e1c
Vancouver
Tsao CW, Seshadri S, Beiser AS, Westwood AJ, Decarli C, Au R, et al. Relations of arterial stiffness and endothelial function to brain aging in the community. Neurology. 2013. doi:10.1212/wnl.0b013e3182a43e1c. PMID: 23935179.
BibTeX
@article{tsao2013-23935179,
author = {Tsao, C. W. and Seshadri, S. and Beiser, A. S. and Westwood, A. J. and Decarli, C. and Au, R. and Himali, J. J. and Hamburg, N. M. and others},
title = {{Relations of arterial stiffness and endothelial function to brain aging in the community}},
journal = {Neurology},
year = {2013},
doi = {10.1212/wnl.0b013e3182a43e1c},
pmid = {23935179},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1212/wnl.0b013e3182a43e1c}
}
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