Researchers from the University of California, San Francisco, believe that routine heart scans can predict memory loss in middle age. They tracked volunteers for 25 years and noticed that subtle changes in the heart size is linked to the declining memory and thinking skills of the participants.
The team said that it could be a risk marker even before signs and symptoms of heart disease become obvious, MailOnline reported. Dr. Laure Rouch, the study's lead author, said that the findings are important because they suggest another potential early marker found in the heart linked to a decline in cognition, which can often be underdiagnosed as there are no obvious symptoms.
Roberto Bruzzone, 57-years-old watches during his ultrasound at the Department of Rehabilitative Cardiology of ASL 3 Genova on July 22, 2020 in Genoa, Italy.
Heart Size and Function Associated to Cognitive Decline in Middle Age
In the study, titled "Twenty-Five-Year Change in Cardiac Structure and Function and Midlife Cognition: The CARDIA Study," published in the medical journal Neurology, experts tracked 2,653 participants for 25 years whose average age were 30 years old when they signed up.
They underwent a series of echocardiograms, ultrasound images of the heart during the beginning of the study, on its 20th year, and the 25th year or end of the study. Researchers focused on the heart's left ventricle diastolic function and measured the weight of the left ventricle, the amount of blood it could fill, and how well it pumps out the blood.
The team observed that the left ventricle of the participants on average increases weight by around 0.27g/m2 annually, while its volume also increased on average by 0.42ml/m2 every year.
Participants were then tested for their cognitive skills in the last year, and the results showed that those with the increased weight on the left ventricle were more likely to perform worse on the tests. Moreover, those who have increased volume of the left ventricle had lower attention, memory, verbal fluency, and language skills by midlife.
Dr. Rouch said that heart abnormalities could have been present as early as young adulthood, even before symptoms of cardiovascular disease occurred. He noted these could be risk markers for lower cognitive and memory abilities in midlife. A single echocardiogram could help identify who is at higher risk of developing cognitive impairment.
Individuals With Left Ventricular Hypertrophy Have Higher Risk Of Dementia
Although a causal effect between changes in heart size and function was not established in the study, previous research showed that deformations in the left ventricle of the heart are a sign of aging and linked to cognitive impairment or dementia.
For instance, a study from the University of Minnesota School of Public Health published in the American Heart Journal showed that left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) or enlarged heart is associated with a higher risk of dementia. The findings suggest that approximately 4% of middle-aged participants with LVH tend to develop dementia in the next 20 years.
Furthermore, those with LVH in midlife had nearly twice the risk of dementia, and long-term hypertension exposure likely resulted in low scores in people with LVH. Researchers said that the findings highlighted the need for hypertension control to prevent injury to the brain and decrease the risk of developing dementia. Experts suggest getting regular blood pressure checks throughout their adult life to keep track of their blood pressure.
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