30 Nov 2023 • People who develop coronary heart disease (CHD) early in life are at a significantly increased risk of dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and vascular dementia, according to results from a new observational study. The risk of dementia is even more pronounced in those who developed CHD before midlife, say investigators.

The study, which was published this week in the Journal of the American Heart Association, is based on 432,557 adults (mean age 56.9 years) enrolled in the UK Biobank study.

During a median follow-up of 12.8 years, participants with CHD had a significantly higher risk of all-cause dementia, Alzheimer’s disease , and vascular dementia than those without CHD.

The risk of dementia was even higher in patients who developed CHD at an earlier age. For each 10-year decrease in the onset of CHD, the risk of dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and vascular dementia increased by 25%, 29%, and 22%, respectively.

“The present findings have important public health implications as they contribute to ascertaining vulnerable populations with dementia by revealing that adults diagnosed with CHD at younger ages, especially before midlife (aged < 45 years), might be the most vulnerable to future dementia,” they write.

Source: JAHA | Read full story