EFFECTS OF EXERCISE AND INTENSIVE VASCULAR RISK REDUCTION ON COGNITIVE FUNCTION IN OLDER ADULTS

Rong Zhang, PhD; Eric Vidoni, PhD; Wanpen Vongpatanasin, MD; Diana R. Kerwin, MD; C. Munro Cullum, PhD; Heidi Rossetti, PhD; Ann M. Stowe, PhD; Sandra A. Billinger, PhD; Aditi Gupta, MD; Tristyn Hall, MBA; Norman Scheel, PhD; David C. Zhu, PhD; Linda S.

The study addresses the impact of modifiable cardiovascular risk factors, such as physical inactivity, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia, on age-related cognitive decline and dementia. It explores whether exercise training combined with intensive pharmacological reduction of these risk factors provides superior cognitive outcomes compared to either intervention alone. Conducted over 24 months at multiple clinical sites, the trial enrolled older adults without dementia but with risk factors for cognitive decline.