OBJECTIVE: The main objective is to confirm a hypothesis that atherosclerosis, through various mechanisms, considerably influences cognitive impairment and significantly increases the risk for developing dementia. Complete sample should be 920 individuals. The present study aimed to analyse epidemiological data from a questionnaire survey. METHODS: The work was carried out in the form of an epidemiological case control study. Subjects are enrolled in the study based on results of the following examinations carried out in neurology departments and outpatient centres during the project NU20-09-00119 from 2020 to 2023. Respondents were divided into four research groups according to the results of clinical examination for the presence of atherosclerosis and dementia. The survey was mainly concerned with risk factors for both atherosclerosis and dementia. It contained questions on lifestyle factors, cardiovascular risk factors, leisure activities, and hobbies. RESULTS: Analysis of the as yet incomplete sample of 877 subjects has yielded the following selected results: on average, 16% of subjects without dementia had primary education while the proportion was 45.2% in the group with both dementia and atherosclerosis. Subjects with dementia did mainly physical work. Low physical activity was more frequently noted in dementia groups (Group 2 - 54.4% and Group 3 - 47.2%) than in subjects without dementia (Group 1 - 19.6% and Group 4 - 25.8%). Coronary heart disease was more frequently reported by dementia patients (33.95%) than those without dementia (16.05%). CONCLUSION: Cognitively impaired individuals, in particular those with vascular cognitive impairment, have poorer quality of life and shorter survival. Risk factors contributing to such impairment are similar to those for ischaemic or haemorrhagic stroke. It may be concluded that most of the analysed risk factors play a role in the development of both atherosclerosis and dementia.

Centre for Health Research Faculty of Medicine University of Ostrava Ostrava Czech Republic

Department of Clinical Neurosciences Faculty of Medicine University of Ostrava Ostrava Czech Republic

Department of Epidemiology and Public Health Faculty of Medicine University of Ostrava Ostrava Czech Republic

Department of Health Management and Public Health Faculty of Health Sciences Palacky University Olomouc Olomouc Czech Republic

Department of Laboratory Medicine University Hospital Ostrava Ostrava Czech Republic

Department of Molecular and Clinical Pathology and Medical Genetics University Hospital Ostrava Ostrava Czech Republic

Department of Neurology University Hospital Ostrava Ostrava Czech Republic

Department of Public Health Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry Palacky University Olomouc Olomouc Czech Republic

Faculty of Medicine in Hradec Kralove Charles University Hradec Kralove Czech Republic

Institute of Laboratory Medicine Faculty of Medicine University of Ostrava Ostrava Czech Republic

Science and Research Centre Faculty of Health Sciences Palacky University Olomouc Olomouc Czech Republic

University Hospital Hradec Kralove Hradec Kralove Czech Republic

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