Cardiovascular disease risk factors, like high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, and smoking, are believed to play key roles in the likelihood of developing cognitive decline, dementia, and Alzheimer’s disease.
Scientists from Umeå University found that people who accumulate these risk factors over time, at a faster pace, have an increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease dementia or vascular dementia, compared to people whose risk factors remain stable throughout life.
The research is published in Neurology and was conducted by Bryn Farnsworth von Cederwald et al.
In the study, the team looked at 1,244 people with an average age of 55 who were considered healthy in terms of cardiovascular health and memory skills at the start of the study.
Participants were given memory tests, health examinations, and completed lifestyle questionnaires every five years for up to 25 years.
Of all participants, 78 people, or 6%, developed Alzheimer’s disease dementia during the study and 39 people, or 3%, developed dementia from vascular disease.
Researchers found that cardiovascular disease risk remained stable in 22% of participants, increased moderately over time in 60%, and rose at an accelerated pace in 18% of people.
People in the study with stable cardiovascular disease risk had an average 20% risk of a heart event over 10 years throughout the study.
Those with a moderately increased risk went from 17% to 38% over the course of the study and those with an accelerated risk went from a 23% to 62% increased risk by the end of the study.
When compared to people with a stable heart disease risk, people with an accelerated heart disease risk had a three to six times greater chance of developing Alzheimer’s disease dementia and a three to four times greater risk of developing vascular dementia.
They also had up to a 1.4 times greater risk of memory decline in middle age.
The findings suggest that having an accelerated risk of cardiovascular disease, quickly accumulating more risk factors like high blood pressure and obesity, is predictive of dementia risk and associated with the emergence of memory decline
As a result, earlier interventions with people who have accelerated heart risks could be an effective way to help prevent further memory decline in the future.
Sign up for our newsletter for more information about this topic.
If you care about dementia, please read studies that lack of this vitamin may lead to dementia, and findings of drug that may increase dementia risk.
For more information about brain health, please see recent studies about common tooth disease that may increase risks of dementia, and results showing Mediterranean diet may protect against memory loss and dementia.
Copyright © 2022 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.
