Lee MJ, et al. – In this study, researchers assessed the prevalence of retinal microvascular signs and associations between retinal signs and cognitive status. They conducted a cross-sectional analysis of visit 5 (2011-2013) of the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) cohort (November 30, 2017, to May 1, 2018). The study sample consisted of a biracial population-based cohort from four US communities (n=2,624; mean age: 76 years; 19% African American) for whom data on cognitive status and complete retinal examination were available. They found that 6% of the cohort had mild retinopathy and 2% had moderate/severe retinopathy. In all, 7% of study participants with microaneurysms, 6% had retinal hemorrhages, and 8% had arteriovenous (AV) nicking. Individuals with AV nicking had a 1.6-fold higher odds of mild cognitive impairment/dementia with cerebrovascular disease (CVD) vs those with no AV nicking. The authors concluded that retinal microvascular signs may reflect microvascular pathology in the brain, which may contribute to dementia and early mild cognitive impairment.