Coronary artery disease at younger ages is associated with an increased risk of dementia, Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia, according to a new study. Adults diagnosed with coronary artery disease, especially before age 45, may be at increased risk of developing dementia, Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia later in life, according to research published in the Journal of the American Heart Association were published.
How Coronary Heart Disease and Dementia are Related
Coronary heart disease has previously been linked to the risk of dementia in older adults. However, this is believed to be the first large-scale study to examine whether the age at onset of coronary heart disease may influence the risk of developing dementia later in life. In coronary heart disease, the coronary arteries are narrowed and calcified as a result of atherosclerosis. In the worst case, a life-threatening heart attack can occur. In previous research, researchers from the School of Nursing at the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College in Beijing found that adults experienced accelerated cognitive decline after new diagnoses of coronary heart disease.
The researchers investigated the possible connection between age at onset of coronary heart disease and the development of dementia by analyzing health data from the British Biobank. Among the 432,667 participants in the study, there were 5,876 cases of dementia, 2,540 cases of Alzheimer’s disease and 1,220 cases of vascular dementia, occurring over an average follow-up period of 13 years. Compared to participants without coronary artery disease, those with coronary artery disease had a higher risk of developing dementia of all causes, Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia.
After adjusting the analysis for demographic and lifestyle factors, subjects with coronary artery disease had a 36% increased risk of developing dementia, a 13% increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, and a 78% increased risk of developing vascular dementia . The risk of dementia increased in direct proportion to younger age at onset of coronary heart disease (per 10-year decline in age). Participants who had been diagnosed with coronary heart disease before age 45 had a Significantly increased risk of developing dementia.
Sharp Increase in Dementia Cases
What surprised the researchers most was the linear relationship between age at onset of coronary heart disease and dementia. According to experts, this shows the enormous detrimental impact of premature coronary heart disease on brain health. As more people live longer and are diagnosed with coronary heart disease at a younger age, it is likely that the number of people living with dementia will rise sharply in the coming years. Doctors should therefore pay attention to people who are diagnosed with coronary heart disease at a young age. The next step is to determine whether early modification of cardiovascular risk can lead to better brain health later in life.
Related Posts
-
As women approach and pass the time of menopause, typically around age 51, they face…
-
Health experts believe that sleep offers the body a chance to recover and repair itself.…
-
Folic Acid, also known as folate, can decrease the risk for heart disease in postmenopausal…
