Atrial cardiomyopathy is associated with an increased risk of dementia among older adults, according to new research published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.[1]
“Stroke and atrial fibrillation (AFib) are two medical conditions tied to atrial cardiopathy,” lead author Michelle C. Johansen, MD, PhD, an assistant professor of neurology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, said in a statement. “We looked to see if we could find any association between the left atrium and dementia that was mediated by, or as a result of, the development of either one of these conditions.”
Johansen et al. explored data from more than 5,000 adults who participated in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study. All participants returned for follow-up visits—including cognitive testing—more than two decades after they were originally recruited. Cardiac evaluations used in this analysis included echocardiography, electrocardiography and blood work.
The final study population included 5,078 adults with a mean age of 75 years old. Thirty-four percent of patients had atrial cardiopathy. Overall, the group found that atrial cardiomyopathy increased a patient’s risk of dementia by as much as 35%. This increased risk appeared to remain even when patients did not present with AFib or stroke.
The group emphasized that some study participants could have died before their dementia symptoms fully developed. Other participants could have simply had milder symptoms that were missed at the time of the follow-up evaluations. On a related note, they added, asymptomatic AFib or silent strokes could have been missed among study participants.
The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health and National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke all helped fund this research. Johansen and colleagues said additional research about this relationship between atrial cardiomyopathy and dementia is still required; they hope to help carry out that research themselves.
Michael has more than 16 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.