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AIMS: To examine the relationship between stroke risk and cognitive function in a large

sample of community-dwelling individuals free from a history of stroke or dementia.

METHODS: Participants were 3315 men and 4062 women aged 50 and over of the 2002

wave of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing, a nationally representative prospective

cohort study. A modified Framingham Stroke Risk Profile (FSRP) (excluding left ventricular

hypertrophy) was used to assess stroke risk. Weighted linear regression models were used

to determine the relationship of stroke risk to neuropsychological performance (SD units) in

multiple cognitive domains (time orientation, immediate and delayed verbal memory,

prospective memory, semantic verbal fluency, cognitive speed, numeracy, and attention).

We adjusted for the following covariates: (1) Unadjusted model; (2) age + sex + interval

between blood pressure measurement and neuropsychological testing (basic adjusted

model); (3) basic adjusted model + education + socioeconomic status + BMI + alcohol

consumption + depressive symptoms (fully adjusted model).

RESULTS: In unadjusted models, a 10% increase in 10-year stroke risk was associated with

a large decrement in global cognitive function (− 0.41 SD units, 95% CI − 0.44 to − 0.38),

and lowered performance in all cognitive domains. After statistical adjustment for age, sex,

education, testing interval and other correlates of cognitive function, 10-year stroke risk

remained significantly associated with poorer global cognitive function, as well as immediate

and delayed verbal memory, semantic verbal fluency and processing speed.

CONCLUSIONS: In individuals free from a history of stroke or dementia, 10-year stroke risk

is associated with worse cognitive function in multiple domains, perhaps reflecting

differences in subclinical cerebrovascular pathology.