Cardiovascular disease correlates very well with incidence of dementia, and this is well demonstrated via analysis of epidemiological data in papers such as the one noted here. Disruption of the flow of blood to the brain is a possible causal mechanism, but one can also consider that both classes of condition are driven by the same underlying processes, such as chronic inflammation. More generally, aspects of aging correlate because aging is an accumulation of damage throughout the body and damaged systems tend to become dysfunctional and fail. The correlation between cardiovascular disease and dementia is strong enough, however, to suggest an additional bidirectional relationship of direct causation.
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) and dementia represent two of the most pressing global health challenges, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. While vascular pathology is increasingly recognized as a contributor to cognitive decline, few studies have systematically explored the global association between CVD and dementia using standardized, population-level data. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between CVD and dementia incidence across 204 countries, stratified by economic status, development level, and geographic region.
Age-standardized incidence rates for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and dementia in 2021 were sourced from the Global Burden of Disease Study. Globally, CVD incidence was significantly associated with dementia incidence (Pearson r = 0.777; Spearman ρ = 0.868). CVD explained approximately 43.0% of the variance in dementia incidence at the population level (r^2 = 0.4303), even after adjusting for key confounders. The association was notably stronger in low- and middle-income countries and developing regions. Among CVD subtypes, peripheral arterial disease (β = 0.903), cardiomyopathy (β = 0.869), and atrial fibrillation (β = 0.708) demonstrated the strongest independent associations with dementia incidence.
