History Of Heart Attack Linked To Higher Risk Of Dementia In Older Women.

MedPage Today (12/20, Boyles) reports that research published online in the Journal of the American Heart Association indicated that “having a history of heart attack without stroke doubled the threat of mild cognitive impairment and dementia, adding to the evidence linking heart disease and mental decline in older women.” Researchers found that “women in the study who had experienced myocardial infarctions (MIs) had twice the risk for cognitive decline as women with no MI history over a median of 8.4 years of follow up.” The study also indicated that “older, postmenopausal women with cardiovascular disease (CVD) were also 29% more likely than women without CVD to experience cognitive declines (HR 1.29; 95% CI 1.00-1.67), and hypertension and diabetes increased the risk for cognitive decline in women without CVD (HR 1.25; 95% CI 1.00-1.57 and HR 1.83, 95% CI 1.24-2.70, respectively).”

Related Links:

— “Dementia Risk Spikes in Older Women after MI, “Salynn Boyles, MedPage Today, December 19, 2013.

Posted in In The News.