Objective cardiac markers and cerebrovascular lesions in Indian seniors.

Cardiovascular risk factors are implicated in cerebrovascular disease, resulting in cognitive impairment. This study investigated the relationship between objective cardiac markers and cerebral changes in older Indian adults with and without dementia. Dementia patients with major electrocardiographic (EKG) abnormalities were 8.19 times more likely to have evidence of stroke on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) compared with patients with no EKG abnormalities (p<.05). The relationship between major EKG abnormalities and stroke on MRI was not significant for patients without dementia. Objective cardiac markers may identify MRI cerebrovascular lesions in patients with dementia, and thus guide neuroimaging allocation in resource-poor areas.