The Dorian Gray Project: Bridging Cardiovascular Disease and Cognitive Decline

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) often co-occur in older adults, with cognitive decline affecting up to one-third of patients with CVD. The association between MCI and CVD goes beyond shared risk factors, as CVD itself can directly contribute to MCI. Mechanistic links include cerebral infarcts affecting cognitive-critical brain regions, arterial stiffness leading to end-organ damage, and chronic cerebral hypoperfusion from low cardiac output (e.g., heart failure or atrial fibrillation), causing neuroinflammation and white matter injury. The DORIAN GRAY project aspires to uncover the mechanisms linking MCI with CVD and develop an integrated, personalized approach to mitigate dementia risk, promote resilience, and improve health in the ageing population.