A review of the major vascular risk factors related to Alzheimer's disease.

The present review is dedicated to the epidemiology of vascular risk factors proven to play a role in facilitating onset and progression of cognitive impairment. These include hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, diabetes, obesity, atherosclerosis, and cardiac diseases. The targeted, chance-free identification and management of traditional vascular risk factors in midlife is a general public health strategy against the onset of mild to severe cognitive impairment in advanced age. This preventive action must be routinely carried out with outmost awareness by physicians in order to be effective. In advanced age, the individually shaped assessment and management of vascular risk factors assumes particular importance as some of them show a strong age-dependent pattern. The relative strategies with this purpose cannot be separated from a thorough lifestyle anamnesis including nutrition, physical exercise, and cognitive and social activities.