Cardiovascular disease and cognitive impairment

Abstract

As life expectancy increases, cardiovascular disease (CVD) is increasingly associated with cognitive impairment and dementia. Cognitive impairment can be a complication of CVD, develop at the same time or earlier than CVD. Often, the preclinical period of neurodegenerative diseases accompanied by cognitive impairment lasts for decades and their relationship with CVD is not fully understood. Studies have to take into account a large number of factors that are often interconnected with each other, so the role and mechanisms of action of each of them in the long term is very difficult to prove. The combination of CVD and cognitive impairment requires special approaches to patient management.