Premium
Cardiopulmonary Fitness Is Associated with Cognitive Performance in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease
Author(s) -
Swardfager Walter,
Herrmann Nathan,
Marzolini Susan,
Saleem Mahwesh,
Kiss Alexander,
Shammi Prathiba,
Oh Paul I.,
Lanctôt Krista L.
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
journal of the american geriatrics society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.992
H-Index - 232
eISSN - 1532-5415
pISSN - 0002-8614
DOI - 10.1111/j.1532-5415.2010.02966.x
Subject(s) - medicine , stroop effect , coronary artery disease , confounding , trail making test , physical fitness , physical therapy , ejection fraction , cardiology , cognition , neuropsychology , psychiatry , heart failure
OBJECTIVES: To investigate the association between cardiopulmonary fitness and cognitive performance in subjects with coronary artery disease (CAD). DESIGN: Cross‐sectional observational study. SETTING: Outpatient cardiac rehabilitation. PARTICIPANTS: Eighty‐one subjects with CAD. MEASUREMENTS: Cardiopulmonary fitness was assessed by measuring peak oxygen uptake (VO 2Peak ) in a standardized exercise stress test. The fraction of the predicted age and sex norm for VO 2Peak was computed for each patient. A battery of neuropsychological tests including the Stroop, Trail‐Making Test Part B, Digit Symbol Coding, Revised Brief Visuospatial Memory Test, California Verbal Learning Test 2nd Edition, and Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) was administered, from which composite Z ‐scores were computed for tasks involving executive function and memory. RESULTS: Executive function, memory, and MMSE scores were correlated with VO 2Peak , but only performance in the executive domain was independently associated with VO 2Peak in multiple linear regression. In a multiple linear regression model controlling for potential clinical confounders, VO 2Peak (β=.666, P <.001) and covariates accounted for 36% of the variance in executive function scores. CONCLUSION: Poorer VO 2Peak is associated with poorer cognition, particularly executive function, in subjects with CAD independent of other cardiac risk factors. Cardiopulmonary fitness may be a protective factor for cognition in patients with CAD.