Hearts and minds: linking vascular rigidity and aerobic fitness with cognitive aging

摘要: Human aging is accompanied by both vascular and cognitive changes. Although arteries throughout the body are known to become stiffer with age, this vessel hardening believed start at level of aorta progress other organs, including brain. Progression impairment may contribute changes that arise a similar time course during aging. Conversely, it has been proposed regular exercise plays protective role, attenuating impact age on metabolic physiology. Here, degradation in absence disease was investigated within 2 groups healthy younger older adults. Age-related executive function, elasticity aortic arch, cardiorespiratory fitness, cerebrovascular reactivity were quantified, as well association between these parameters group. In cohort studied, adults exhibited decline functions, measured slower performance modified Stroop task (1247.90 � 204.50 vs. 898.20 211.10 ms inhibition and/or switching component, respectively) than Older participants also showed higher pulse wave velocity (8.98 3.56 3.95 0.82 m/s, lower VO max (29.04 6.92 42.32 7.31 mL O2/kg/min, Within group, faster associated preserved (lower velocity; p ¼ 0.046) fitness (VO2 max; 0.036). Furthermore, VO2 found be negatively blood oxygenation dependent CO2 frontal regions involved (p 0.038) but positively periventricular watershed postcentral gyrus. Overall, results study support hypothesis status linked health, preservation one key mechanisms which physical helps alleviate