Cardiac Problems Linked to Alzheimer's Disease Progression

A new study suggests that Alzheimer's disease (AD) may progress more rapidly in people with high blood pressure or atrial fibrillation, a form of irregular heartbeat.

Researchers at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (Baltimore, MD, USA) and other institutions examined 135 men and women over the age of 65 who were newly diagnosed with AD. All had undergone annual memory tests for an average of three years. The study participants were part of a study on memory health and aging, which has been following a group of 5,092 people 65 or older living in Cache County (UT, USA) since 1995.

"What makes this group and study unique is that we have been following these participants in the community for over a decade, even before they were first diagnosed with AD, so we know a good deal about their medical history,” said lead researcher Michelle M. Mielke, Ph.D., of the department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences. "Studies that enroll AD patients only from clinics may miss key factors, such as date of onset and history of cardiovascular disease and treatment.”

The study results showed that ten patients with high blood pressure (defined as systolic pressure over 160) at the time of AD diagnosis showed a rate of memory loss roughly 100% faster than those with normal blood pressure. A further ten patients with atrial fibrillation at the time of the diagnosis showed a rate of memory decline that was 75% faster than those with normal heartbeats. The study was published in the November 6, 2007, issue of Neurology.

"The possibility that specific vascular conditions may affect how fast a person with AD declines provides new opportunities for slowing the rate of AD progression,” said Dr. Mielke. "Treatments for atrial fibrillation and high blood pressure are relatively inexpensive and safe and may reduce memory decline in AD patients with these conditions.”


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Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine