Higher risk of dementia if an upper heart chamber is abnormal
Structural or functional abnormalities within the heart's left atrium, with or without symptoms, may increase a person's risk of developing dementia later in life by 35%, according to new research published in the Journal of the American Heart Association. Dementia risk increased even among those who did not experience atrial fibrillation or stroke, two conditions known to be associated with dementia.
Atrial cardiopathy is associated with an increased risk of stroke and atrial fibrillation, which are both linked to an enhanced risk of dementia. In a study led by Michelle C. Johansenthe research team aimed to determine the relationship between atrial cardiopathy and dementia, and if so, whether it is independent of atrial fibrillation and stroke.
This analysis uses data and assessments gathered during participants' fifth ARIC clinical visit, between 2011 and 2013 as a baseline, and follows the participants through their sixth visit, between 2016 and 2017, and their seventh visit, between 2018 and 2019.
The current analysis included 5,078 of the 5,952 participants who returned for their fifth clinical visit; 59% were female, and 41% were male. The group of 5,078 were an average age of 75 years old, and 21% self-identified as Black adults. During their fifth, sixth, and seventh clinical visit, the ARIC participants were evaluated for cognitive decline indicating dementia.
The analysis of the collective health data found that throughout the more than 30 years of follow-up, 763 people developed dementia, and 1,709 had atrial cardiopathy. The participants with atrial cardiopathy appeared to be 35% more likely to develop dementia. When the researchers adjusted for participants who experienced atrial fibrillation and stroke, even after accounting for other vascular risks, they still observed a respective 31% and 28% increase in dementia risk in patients with atrial cardiopathy. The researchers suggested that a state of atrial cardiopathy leading to dementia s is not a result of atrial fibrillation or stroke alone.
Ref:
Michelle C. Johansen et. al, Risk of Dementia Associated With Atrial Cardiopathy: The ARIC Study, Journal of the American Heart Association, DOI: 10.1161/JAHA.121.025646
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