More than six million people in the U.S. live with heart failure, and a new study suggests that this condition may also speed up mental decline.
Researchers from Michigan Medicine looked at the cognitive abilities of nearly 30,000 adults and compared those who developed heart failure with those who did not.
The team found that people diagnosed with heart failure showed a significant drop in thinking ability at the time of diagnosis. Over time, their mental sharpness continued to decline faster than in people without heart failure. In fact, people with heart failure lost brain function at a rate similar to aging 10 years within just seven years of diagnosis.
These findings were published in the journal Circulation: Heart Failure.
“Heart failure is a chronic condition that requires patients to follow detailed care plans, take multiple medications, and monitor their symptoms,” said Dr. Supriya Shore, the study’s lead author and a professor at the University of Michigan. “If a patient’s mental abilities are declining, it can make managing this disease much more difficult.”
Interestingly, the study found that common risk factors for poor brain health—like high blood pressure and previous heart attacks—did not fully explain the rapid mental decline seen in patients with heart failure.
The drop in overall thinking ability, known as global cognition, was especially noticeable in older adults, women, and white participants. On average, people with heart failure reached a significant level of cognitive decline nearly six years earlier than those without the condition.
Their ability to manage tasks like planning, organizing, and problem solving—called executive function—also declined nearly five years sooner.
Dr. Deborah Levine, a senior author on the study, said, “Regular mental checkups for older adults with heart failure could help us catch the earliest signs of decline. This way, we can give patients the support they need before it becomes harder to manage their care.”
Dr. Shore added that treating heart failure involves complex decisions, which makes it even more important for patients to be able to understand their condition.
This may also help explain why a 2024 study led by Dr. Shore found that many people with heart failure didn’t understand their long-term health outlook, or prognosis.
Caregivers were more likely to notice when a patient’s health was getting worse. Some patients said their doctors didn’t talk openly about the future, while others were confused by medical terms.
“Most patients and their caregivers want honest conversations about what to expect from the disease,” said Dr. Shore. “They want to talk about quality of life and how long they might live. Even though these are difficult discussions, people appreciate them.”
She added that with the new findings about cognitive decline, it’s more important than ever to use simple, clear language and to check in often with patients about their mental health.
The researchers hope their work will lead to better communication, more personalized care, and improved quality of life for people living with heart failure.
If you care about heart health, please read studies that vitamin K helps cut heart disease risk by a third, and a year of exercise reversed worrisome heart failure.
For more health information, please see recent studies about supplements that could help prevent heart disease, stroke, and results showing this food ingredient may strongly increase heart disease death risk.
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