Effects of age and APOE ϵ4 genotype on the relationship between pulse pressure and executive function in older adults without Dementia

OBJECTIVES: Pulse pressure (PP) calculated as systolic minus diastolic blood pressure is a surrogate measure of arterial stiffness that may affect executive function; however, this relationship could be moderated by age and genetic risk for Alzheimer's disease (AD). We therefore examined relationships among PP, age, AD risk (i.e., APOE genotype) and executive function measured by the NIH Toolbox Cognition Battery (NIHTB-CB) in older adults. METHODS: PP was determined in 216 older adults without dementia (mean age: 77.5 ± 7.9 years, education: 16.8 ± 2.4 years, 55% women, 34.8% APOE ϵ4+) who were tested with the NIHTB-CB as part of the Advancing Reliable Measurement of Alzheimer's Disease and Cognitive Aging (ARMADA) study. RESULTS: = .005) across all participants. CONCLUSIONS: Arterial stiffness measured by PP in older adults is associated with worse performance on NIHTB-CB tests of executive function, working memory, and episodic sequence memory, particularly in younger APOE ϵ4 carriers. Arterial stiffness and AD risk may work synergistically in an age dependent manner to adversely affect cognition.