Cardiovascular and cerebrovascular health in 70-year-olds: a population-based ASL study

While mid-life cardiovascular pathology may lead to late-life cognitive decline, our understanding of the role of cerebrovascular health as an intermediate biomarker is limited. We explored the association between cardiovascular health biomarkers and cross-sectional and longitudinal cerebrovascular health assessed by ASL MRI in Insight46, a well-characterised cognitively normal population-based sample. We found several cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between blood pressure and CBF. These findings suggest that the effects of BP on cerebrovascular health can be imaged with ASL perfusion MRI, possibly offering opportunities to prevent or intervene before cognitive decline sets in.