Lower baseline cerebral oxygen extraction and metabolic rate are associated with faster cognitive decline and brain atrophy over a longitudinal follow‐up period

Oxygen extraction fraction (OEF), cerebral blood flow (CBF), and cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen (CMRO2) are complexly interrelated. Low OEF and CMRO2 are promising early indicators of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) pathophysiology. To better understand how alterations in cerebral oxygen utilization relate to abnormal brain aging, we investigated baseline oxygen metabolism variables (OEF, CBF, CMRO2) in relation to longitudinal cognition and brain structure, and if these associations were different among individuals at genetic risk for sporadic AD (i.e., apolipoprotein E (APOE)‐ε4 carriers).