While men in midlife have more cardiovascular (CV) conditions and risk factors compared to women of the same age, a new research suggests that women are more affected by these conditions with regard to cognitive decline.

An evaluation of participants in the Mayo Clinic Study of Aging revealed that diabetes, dyslipidemia, and coronary heart disease (CHD) have a robust association with global cognitive decline in women compared to men. Investigators evaluated 1857 nondemented subjects, aged 50 to 69 years, from the Mayo Clinic Study on Aging. About 78.9% of them had at least one CV condition or risk factor, with the proportion being higher in men than women. The final analysis included 1394 participants. Researchers noted that most CV conditions had a stronger link with cognitive function in women compared to men. CHD was found to be associated with global decline only among women (P < .05). CHD, diabetes, and dyslipidemia were tied to language decline in women only (all, P < .05); however, congestive heart failure was significantly associated with language decline only in men. The study is published online in Neurology… (Medscape)