Sex differences in predictors for cognitive decline and dementia in people with stroke or transient ischemic attack in the PROGRESS trial.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Stroke and transient ischemic attack confer greater risk of cognitive decline and dementia.

AIMS:

We used data from the Perindopril Protection Against Recurrent Stroke Study (PROGRESS), a blood pressure-lowering randomized controlled trial in stroke/transient ischemic attack. We evaluated overall and sex-specific differences in treatment effects for cognitive decline/dementia, as well as associations with vascular and stroke-specific predictors,considering death as a competing risk.

METHODS:

Multinomial logistic regression was used to estimate overall and sex-specific odds ratios (OR) (95% confidence intervals (CI)) for treatment effects and predictors associated with the risk of cognitive decline/dementia, and the women-to-men ratio of odds ratio (RORs).

RESULTS:

Over a median four years, 763 cognitive decline/dementia (30.9% women) were recorded in 5888 participants. Women had lower odds of cognitive decline/dementia than men (OR 0.78, 95%CI 0.63-0.95). Active treatment was associated with lower odds of cognitive decline/dementia (0.84, 0.72-0.98), with no evidence of sex difference. Higher education (0.96,0.94-0.98 (per year)) and baseline Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE)) were associated with lower odds of cognitive decline/dementia (0.84,0.82-0.86 (per point higher)). Higher diastolic blood pressure (1.11,1.02-1.20 (per 10 mmHg)), low estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) <60 ml/min/1.73 m2 (1.27,1.03-1.58), and peripheral arterial disease (1.78,1.26-2.52) were associated with higher odds of cognitive decline/dementia. APOE ɛ4 was not associated with cognitive decline/dementia (1.05 (0.85-1.30)). Low eGFR was more strongly associated with cognitive decline/dementia in women than men (RORs, 1.60 (1.03-2.48)). Diabetes was more strongly associated with men than women.

CONCLUSIONS:

Several risk factors were associated with cognitive decline/dementia in people with prior stroke/transient ischemic attack, with notable sex differences. Long-term cognitive sequelae of stroke should be considered to strengthen joint prevention strategies for stroke, cognitive decline, and dementia.Trial Registration: This trial was not registered because enrolment began before 1 July 2005.

• Authors: Jessica Gong, Katie Harris, Christophe Tzourio, Stephen Harrap, Sharon Naismith, Craig S Anderson, John Chalmers, Mark Woodward
• Journal: International journal of stroke : official journal of the International Stroke Society (Int J Stroke) Pg. 17474930211059298 (Nov 18 2021) ISSN: 1747-4949 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 34791978 (Publication Type: Journal Article)