ABSTRACT The hippocampus, a key neural structure supporting episodic memory, comprises distinct subfields including the dentate gyrus (DG), Cornu Ammonis (CA1–3), and subiculum. Hippocampal subfields typically show age‐related volumetric decline across adulthood, but the regional aging may be differentially vulnerable to cardiovascular risk factors. Here, we examined the association between hippocampal subfield volumes and cardiovascular risk indices—hypertension, blood pressure variation (BPV), body mass index (BMI), and waist‐to‐hip ratio—in groups of younger ( n = 37, ages 18–29 years) and older adults ( n = 22, ages 60–79 years). The findings revealed a specific link between cardiovascular health and hippocampal subfield volumes, with the subiculum showing greater sensitivity. Among younger adults, hypertension predicted smaller subiculum, while higher BMI correlated with larger CA1–2 volumes. For older adults, higher BPV predicted smaller subiculum volume, independent of hypertension that correlated with larger regional volume. Age moderated the relation between all indices and subiculum volume except waist‐to‐hip ratio. These findings highlight age‐dependent, subfield‐specific risk factors for hippocampal aging and underscore the potential for identifying sensitive periods for both risk and protection against late‐life cognitive decline.
Homayouni et al. (Mon,) studied this question.
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