New research, published in JAMA Neurology, reveals a connection between experiencing a heart attack and subsequent cognitive decline in the years following the cardiac event.
While a heart attack itself does not cause an immediate decline in cognition, individuals who have had a heart attack demonstrate a significantly faster cognitive decline compared to those who have not experienced one.
This decline in global cognition is equivalent to aging by approximately six to 13 years, emphasizing the importance of controlling vascular risk factors to mitigate cognitive consequences.
Understanding Heart Attacks
A heart attack, also known as a myocardial infarction, is a medical emergency that occurs when the blood supply to the heart is suddenly and severely reduced or cut off, leading to the death of heart muscle tissue due to insufficient oxygen supply.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 805,000 people in the United States suffer from a heart attack each year.
Of these cases, 605,000 are first-time heart attacks, while 200,000 occur in individuals who have previously experienced a heart attack.
The Study’s Implications
Michelle Johansen, an associate professor of neurology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, highlights the importance of vascular risk factor control, such as managing high blood pressure and elevated cholesterol, to prevent heart attacks.
The study’s findings serve as a wake-up call for individuals at risk of heart attacks, emphasizing the long-term consequences on cognition and memory.
The study involved a pooled analysis of six large studies conducted between 1971 and 2019, focusing on adults.
Researchers compared individuals who had suffered heart attacks with those who were similar in all respects except for not having experienced a heart attack.
To assess cognition over time, a point system was used to measure global cognition, memory, and executive functioning—the ability to make complex cognitive decisions.
The immediate cognitive impact of a first heart attack was not found to be significant. However, individuals who had experienced a heart attack exhibited a decline in cognitive performance over the years following the event.
Various cognitive test scores were combined to represent a single cognitive domain, and a decrease in points indicated a decline in that specific domain.
The study included 30,465 participants who had not previously had a heart attack or stroke and did not have dementia during their first cognitive assessment.
Among these individuals, 1,033 eventually suffered at least one heart attack, with 137 experiencing two heart attacks.
Those who had heart attacks tended to be older and male, while the sample as a whole included 29% Black, 8% Hispanic, and 56% female participants.
Future Research Directions
The study’s lead author, Michelle Johansen, emphasizes the need to explore additional aspects of heart health and their impact on brain health.
The findings suggest that preventing heart attacks may be a strategy for preserving brain health in older adults. Future research aims to identify the specific mechanisms behind cognitive decline following heart attacks.
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The research findings can be found in JAMA Neurology.
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