A recent study revealed that heart function is an important risk factor in the development of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. The study entitled “Low Cardiac Index is Associated with Incident Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease: The Framingham Heart Study” was published in Circulation by Dr. Angela L. Jefferson from Vanderbilt Memory & Alzheimer’s Center, Nashville, TN, USA, and colleagues.
The number of patients with dementia is estimated to be 44 million worldwide and is expected to reach 76 million people in 2030. More than half of dementia patients suffer from Alzheimer’s disease and the numbers are moving in an upward trend. Cross-sectional epidemiological and clinical studies have been suggesting an association between lower cardiac index and abnormal brain aging, including smaller brain volumes, increased white matter hyperintensities, and worse cognitive performances. Lower systemic blood flow may have implications for dementia among older adults.
The Alois Alzheimer Foundation 