Heart Attack Linked to Faster Cognitive Decline Over Time, Study Suggests

Individuals who experience a myocardial infarction (heart attack) appear to have a faster cognitive decline over time than those who do not experience a myocardial infarction, according to areport published yesterday inJAMA Neurology.The findings point to the importance of tracking the cognitive function of patients who have experienced a myocardial infarction and suggest that high-risk patients should be counseled on the potential cognitive ramifications of such an event, wrote lead author Michelle C. Johansen, M.D., Ph.D., of Johns Hopkins University and colleagues. “The findings also suggest that prevention of [myocardial infarction] may be a strategy to preserve brain health in older adults,” they added.Johansen and colleagues analyzed data from six U.S. prospective cohort studies conducted from 1971 to 2019. The studies, which included repeated measures of cognition and blood pressure over time, included the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study, Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults Study, Cardiovascular Health Study, Framingham Offspring Study, Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis, and the Northern Manhattan Study.The sample included 30,465 individuals, average age 64, who had no history of myocardial infarction, dementia, or stroke at the time of their first cognitive assessment; 29% of the individuals were Black, 8% were Hispanic, 69% were White, and 56% were female. The individuals were followed for a median of 6.4 years, duri...
Source: Psychiatr News - Category: Psychiatry Tags: cognition executive function heart attack JAMA Neurology memory Source Type: research