Abstract Body (Do not enter title and authors here): Background: Physical activity and cognitive training can improve cognitive health, including related neurotrophic biomarkers, with potential interactive effects. In older women with cardiovascular disease (CVD) who are at increased risk for poor cognitive health, we evaluated the efficacy of MindMoves, a 24-week multidomain physical activity and cognitive training intervention, on change in serum biomarkers, including brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), and growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF-15).

Methods: This randomized controlled trial (NCT04556305) with a 2x2 factorial design tested independent and combined efficacies of Mind (tablet-based cognitive training) and Move (lifestyle physical activity) on change in serum biomarkers (BDNF, VEGF, IGF-1, GDF-15). Women (n = 253) aged 65 years and older with CVD were randomized to Mind, Move, MindMoves, or usual care. Women completed fasting venipunctures at baseline, 24, 48, and 72 weeks. We conducted multilevel linear growth models adjusting for age, education, and racial and ethnic background. To examine intervention effects on linear change in serum biomarkers over 72 weeks, we included main and interaction effects of Mind and Move.

Results: Participants were, on average, 72.4 years old at baseline (range = 65–90), primarily of non-Hispanic White (54%) and Black (38%) racial backgrounds, and 60% graduated college. A total of 86% (n = 218) of participants completed the 72-week data collection. Attrition was not a significant function of intervention condition or sociodemographics (all p’s > .05). There were no significant main effects of Mind or Move on linear change for any of the four serum biomarkers. However, there was a significant interaction effect (Mind*Move) on linear change over all four timepoints for GDF-15, whereby those in the control and combined conditions improved (decreased) relative to those in the Mind or Move conditions (t = -2.20, p = .028).

Conclusions: In this cohort of older women with CVD, there were significant Mind*Move interactive effects on GDF-15, a biomarker that may be associated with risk of Alzheimer’s disease or other conditions related to neuroinflammation. However, there were no significant intervention effects for the other biomarkers. Future analyses should examine other biomarkers related to Alzheimer’s disease and inflammation that may provide more mechanistic insight.