Ischemic heart disease linked to increased risk of dementia and faster cognitive decline in older people

Older people with ischemic heart disease have an increased long-term risk of dementia and accelerated cognitive decline, independent of coexisting atrial fibrillation, heart failure, and cerebrovascular disease. A recent study published in Alzheimer's & Dementia, suggests that the heart, the brain, and cognitive function are connected in the aging process and that appropriate prevention and treatment of ischemic heart disease in older people might reduce the burden of dementia.

The researchers regularly followed a cohort of 2568 older people (60 years or more), who were free of dementia at the study entry and were living in an area of central Stockholm, from 2001-2004 through 2013-2016. Heart diseases at the study entry were ascertained via clinical examination and linkage to the Swedish National Inpatient Register. Dementia status and cognitive function during the follow-up period were diagnosed and assessed regularly following the standard approaches.

"We used statistical methods to link ischemic heart disease at the study entry to an increased risk of dementia and a faster decline in cognitive function during the follow-up period," says Chengxuan Qiu, at the Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Division of Aging Research Center (ARC) and one of the authors of the study.

Future works should explore cognitive trajectory following the onset of ischemic heart disease and further investigate to what extent medical treatments of ischemic heart disease may affect cognitive decline and dementia onset.