Accessible Vascular Indicators for Mild Cognitive Impairment Detection: The Predictive Value of Ankle-Brachial Index

Objectives: Neurocognitive disorders (NCD) refer to a broad spectrum of conditions characterized by declining cognitive functions, such as memory, attention, language, and executive abilities. It is estimated that up to half of patients affected by NCD remain undiagnosed or are diagnosed at an advanced stage of the disease. This study aimed to analyze the utility of subclinical organ damage markers, which could be used in primary care for the detection and prevention of NCD. Methods: The study participants (n=137) completed neuropsychological tests (ACE and MMSE), a sociodemographic survey, an interview on past illnesses, and had their ankle-brachial index (ABI) and pulse wave velocity (PWV) values measured. Results: Based on the MMSE test, 26 participants (18.978%) were diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and 8 participants (5.839%) with NCD. The study found that the use of the ABI is useful for early detection of NCD in the studied population while PWV cannot be used as a predictor for this group of diseases. Conclusions: The most important neuroprotective factors identified were physical activity, regular use of computers (as a form of cognitive training), and mental well-being. A low ABI value could potentially serve as a predictor of cognitive disorders and as a diagnostic tool that is easily accessible and quick, it may improve diagnostics and the overall health of primary care patients. Health education regarding modifiable risk factors for dementia is also of crucial importance.