In a study of 2,700 people, those with heart disease were almost twice as likely to develop mild cognitive impairment involving language, thinking, and judgment.
People with cardiac disease, particularly women, may face a higher risk of mild cognitive impairment than those without heart problems, a new study suggests. Specifically, they may be more likely to develop what's called nonamnestic mild cognitive impairment — nonamnestic because it doesn't include memory loss but involves problems with language, thinking, and judgment.
Researchers at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., assessed 2,719 people ages 70 to 89 at the beginning of their study and followed up every 15 months. They focused on those who did not have mild cognitive impairment at the study's start — 1,450 people. Of that group, 669 had heart disease and 781 did not. Subsequent development of nonamnestic mild cognitive impairment was more prevalent among those in the heart disease group, they found — occurring in 8.8 percent, compared to 4.4 percent in the group without heart disease.
source: everydayhealth
