Diabetes and cardiovascular disease increase the risk of dementia

People who have at least two types of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, or stroke have a double risk of developing dementia. Therefore, preventing diabetes and cardiovascular disease could be a strategy to reduce the risk of dementia, according to a study from Karolinska Institutet published in the journal. Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.

Type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke – the so-called cardiovascular disease – are the biggest risk factors for dementia. Heart disease here means ischemic heart disease, heart failure or atrial fibrillation.

Few studies have examined how your risk of developing dementia is affected if you have more than one of these diseases at the same time, so we wanted to investigate our study, says Abigail Dove, a doctoral student in the Center for Aging Research in the Department of Neuroscience, Care and Community Sciences at Karolinska Institutet.

The development of dementia occurs gradually over decades. first come gradually Cognitive impairment seen only on cognitive tests, then cognitive impairment when the same person notes that they have begun to have memory impairment but are still adjusting to daily life, and finally fully developed dementia.

More than one cardiovascular disease doubles the risk

The researchers used data from the Swedish National Study on Aging and Care, A total of 2,500 healthy people who are free of dementia live in Kungsholmen in Stockholm aged 60 and over. The incidence of cardiovascular disease was assessed at baseline by medical records and clinical examination. The subjects were then followed for twelve years with medical examination and cognitive tests to screen for cognitive impairment and dementia.

attend more Cardiovascular disease accelerated cognitive decline and doubled the risk of cognitive impairment and dementia, the development of which accelerated by two years. The higher the number of diseases, the higher the risk.

In our study, Abigail Dove says that combinations of diabetes and heart disease plus diabetes, heart disease and stroke were the most detrimental to cognitive function.

Important to prevent the second disease

However, offered Those who have only One Cardiovascular disease does not significantly increase the risk of developing dementia.

– It’s good news. The study shows that the risk only increases when you have at least two diseases, so this is an opportunity to prevent the development of a second disease and then also prevent the development of dementia.

The association between cardiovascular disease and an increased risk of dementia was higher among study participants younger than 78 years old.

“So we should focus on preventing cardiovascular disease already in middle age, as the risk of cognitive impairment and dementia appears to be higher for those who develop cardiovascular disease early in life,” says Abigail Dove.

Want to understand the mechanism

In future studies, the researchers want to learn more about the mechanism behind the connection: investigating the importance of genetic factors and using brain imaging to explore how cardiovascular disease can damage the brain.

The study was funded by the Swedish Research Council, Forte, Alzheimer’s Foundation and Lindhés Advokatbyrå. No conflict of interest has been reported.

the post: “Multiple cardiovascular disease accelerates cognitive decline and progression of dementia”Abigail Dove, Anna Marsiglia, Ying Chang, Julia Grande, David Leporio Vetrano, Erica J. Lauca, Laura Fratiglione, Willie Shaw, Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia: Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association, Online 16 Jun 2022, doi: 10.1002/alz.12708.

For more information please contact:
Abigail Dove, PhD student
Department of Neurobiology, Care and Society Sciences, Karolinska Institutet
Tel: 08-524 85837, 070-741 1617
E-mail: [email protected]

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