11/29/2023 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 11/29/2023 04:13
Research Highlights:
Embargoed until 4 a.m. CT/5 a.m. ET Wednesday, November 29, 2023
DALLAS, November 29, 2023 - Adults diagnosed with coronary heart disease, especially before the age of 45, may be at increased risk of developing dementia, Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia later in life, according to new research published today in the Journal of the American Heart Association, an open access, peer-reviewed journal of the American Heart Association.
"Coronary heart disease has previously been associated with dementia risk in older adults, however, this is believed to be the first large-scale study examining whether the age of coronary heart disease onset may impact the risk of developing dementia later in life," said Fanfan Zheng, Ph.D., senior study author and researcher in the School of Nursing at the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College in Beijing, China.
"In previous research, we found that adults experienced accelerated cognitive decline after new diagnoses of coronary heart disease," she said.
The researchers assessed the potential relationship between age at coronary heart disease onset and the development of dementia by analyzing health data from the UK Biobank.
The analysis found:
"What surprised us most was the linear relationship between age of coronary heart disease onset and dementia. This shows the huge detrimental influence of premature coronary heart disease on brain health," Zheng said. "As more people live longer and are diagnosed with coronary heart disease at a younger age, it's likely there will be a large increase in the number of people living with dementia in years to come. Health care professionals should be aware of individuals diagnosed with coronary heart disease at a young age. The next step is to determine whether modifying cardiovascular risk early in life will promote better brain health later in life."
Study details and background:
According to the American Heart Association's 2023 Statistical Update, coronary heart disease caused 382,820 deaths in 2020. The estimated rate of dementia (alone, not including Alzheimer's) in U.S. adults, 65 years of age and older, was 10.5% in 2012, with a rate of 7.3% in males and 12.9% in females, according to the Aging, Demographics and Memory Study, which is a supplemental study of the long-running Health and Retirement Study in the U.S.
The study's limitations included that it is an observational study, meaning the findings do not confirm cause and effect, and that more than 94% of the study population from the UK Biobank self-identified as white, meaning the findings may not be generalizable to people of other races or ethnicities.
Co-authors, disclosures and funding sources are listed in the manuscript.
Studies published in the American Heart Association's scientific journals are peer-reviewed. The statements and conclusions in each manuscript are solely those of the study authors and do not necessarily reflect the Association's policy or position. The Association makes no representation or guarantee as to their accuracy or reliability. The Association receives funding primarily from individuals; foundations and corporations (including pharmaceutical, device manufacturers and other companies) also make donations and fund specific Association programs and events. The Association has strict policies to prevent these relationships from influencing the science content. Revenues from pharmaceutical and biotech companies, device manufacturers and health insurance providers and the Association's overall financial information are available here.
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