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Cardiac disease increased risk for mental impairment in women

Cardiac disease is an independent risk factor for nonamnestic mild cognitive impairment, particularly among women, according to recent study results.

“Prevention and management of cardiac disease and vascular risk factors may reduce the risk of [nonamnestic mild cognitive impairment],” researchers from Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., wrote.

The study included 2,719 men and women aged 70 to 89 years who underwent a battery of neurological and neuropsychological testing at baseline and every 15 months for 4 years. Study participants were also assessed for depressive symptoms and history of cardiac disease.

Of the 1,450 participants without baseline mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or dementia, 366 went on to develop MCI. Cardiac disease was associated with an increased risk for nonamnestic MCI (HR=1.77; 95% CI, 1.16-2.72). The association between cardiac disease and nonamnestic MCI varied by sex (P=.02), according to the researchers. Cardiac disease was associated with an increased risk in women (HR=3.07; 95% CI, 1.58-5.99) but not in men (HR=1.16; 95% CI, 0.68-1.99).

A number of mechanisms may contribute to the association between cardiac disease and nonamnestic MCI, according to the researchers, including cardiac sympathetic nerve dysfunction, which has been associated with Lewy body diseases such as dementia with Lewy bodies, Parkinson’s disease and Parkinson dementia.

“This suggests that cardiac sympathetic nerve dysfunction may be an early marker of these non-Alzheimer dementias or that there is a shared etiology involving [alpha]-synuclein protein misfolding,” the researchers wrote.

Adverse events such as atrial fibrillation or hypoperfusion of the brain from impaired cardiac function may also lead to an increased risk for MCI.

Disclosure: See the study for a full list of financial disclosures.