Scientists from the Poznan University of Medical Sciences found that About 1 in 3 heart attack survivors showed a big mental decline in the days and months following their heart attack.
The findings suggest that increased attention to monitoring cognitive functioning after a heart attack is needed.
The research was presented at the American College of Cardiology’s 71st Annual Scientific Session and was conducted by Dominika Kasprzak et al.
In the study, the team examined the mental functioning of 220 patients hospitalized for a heart attack in Poznań, Poland.
Patients underwent two cognitive assessments a few days after their heart attack, and then, repeated the tests six months later.
The two tests assess a person’s thinking, memory, and ability to perform basic tasks and are commonly used to identify signs of dementia.
The tests overall showed roughly 50% of patients had normal cognitive functioning at both time points, while the other half had some cognitive impairment.
About 35-40% of patients showed cognitive impairment in the first days after their heart attack, while 27-33% showed impairment six months later.
Of the patients who had some cognitive impairment shortly after their heart attack, the impairment was temporary in about half of the cases and permanent for the other half.
About 1 in 9 patients had normal cognitive functioning shortly after their heart attack but showed cognitive decline six months later.
Cognitive deficits can impact a person’s quality of life and make it more challenging to keep up with treatments and lifestyle changes intended to help prevent a second heart attack.
As such, the team says it is important for cardiologists to be alert for signs of mental decline.
Given that study participants were relatively young—60 years old on average—the team says it is unlikely that normal age-related declines alone could explain the patients’ high rate of cognitive impairment.
However, age may amplify the effects. Patients who were older and those with blood markers indicative of more severe heart disease were more likely to show permanent cognitive impairment.
If you care about mental health, please read studies about defying your body clock may lead to depression, and this natural food supplement could help relieve anxiety.
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