Low ankle-brachial index and cognitive function after stroke—the PROSpective with Incident Stroke Berlin (PROSCIS-B)

INTRODUCTION: Low ankle-brachial index (ABI) ≤0. 9 is a marker for generalized atherosclerosis and a risk factor for cognitive decline in the general population. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact of ABI ≤0.9 on cognitive function up to 3 years after first-ever ischemic stroke. METHODS: Data was used from the “PROspective Cohort with Incident Stroke-Berlin” (PROSCIS-B; NCT01363856). ABI was measured at baseline and categorized into normal (1.4–0.9) vs. low (≤0.9). Cognitive function was assessed with the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and the Mini-Mental-State-Examination (MMSE) at baseline and with the Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status-modified (TICS-m) at 1–3 years of follow-up. We performed confounder adjusted generalized linear models (GLM) to calculate relative risks (RR) for cognitive impairment at baseline (MMSE≤26; MoCA≤25) and linear mixed models (LMM) to estimate the impact of low ABI on TICS-m over time. RESULTS: We included 325 patients [mean age: 66 (SD = 13); 38% female, median NIHSS = 2 (IQR = 1–4), ABI≤0.9: 59 (18%)]. Patients with low ABI were at increased risk of cognitive impairment at baseline (adjusted RR for MoCA≤25 = 1.98; 95%-CI:1.24 to 3.16). TICS-m scores were consistently lower over time in patients with low ABI (adjusted ß = −1.96; 95%-CI:−3.55 to −0.37). Independent of ABI, cognitive function did not decline over time (adjusted ß:0.29; 95%-CI:−0.06 to 0.64). CONCLUSION: In patients with mild to moderate first-ever ischemic stroke, low ABI is associated with reduced cognitive function over a 3-year follow-up. STUDY REGISTRATION: https://clinicaltrials.gov; Unique identifier: NCT01363856.