Poor heart health in middle age puts people at higher risk of dementia
A major UK study has found that middle-aged adults with hidden heart damage may be unknowingly increasing their risk of dementia decades later.
Researchers at University College London (UCL) discovered that people who showed signs of heart muscle damage in their 40s, 50s and 60s were 38 per cent more likely to develop dementia later in life.
The study, published in the European Heart Journal and funded by the British Heart Foundation (BHF), found that these early warning signs can appear up to 25 years before diagnosis.
Scientists measured levels of a protein called troponin, which is released into the bloodstream when the heart muscle is damaged.
Although high troponin levels are used to diagnose heart attacks, even mild elevations in healthy individuals indicate ongoing, undetected cardiac stress and a higher risk of future cognitive decline.
Of nearly 6,000 officers followed for 25 years, those who developed dementia had consistently high troponin levels long before symptoms began.
Brain scans revealed that participants with the highest levels also had smaller hippocampi (the brain region vital for memory) 15 years later.
Professor Bryan Williams, BHF’s scientific and medical officer, said: “This study is an important reminder that our heart and brain health are inseparable. Damage in midlife can predispose to decline decades later.”
Lead author Professor Eric Brunner added: “Dementia develops slowly over years. Controlling midlife risks, such as high blood pressure, can slow or even stop both heart and brain disease.”
Experts said the findings underline the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle through exercise, good nutrition, weight control and not smoking to protect both the heart and mind later in life.
