Cognitive Change After Cardiac Surgery Versus Cardiac Catheterization: A Population-Based Study

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Cardiology
• Neuroscience

Background:

• Concerns exist regarding potential adverse cognitive effects of cardiac surgery.
• Limited population-based evidence, particularly with presurgery data, is available.
• This study investigates cognitive changes following cardiac procedures in older adults.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare memory change after cardiac catheterization versus cardiac surgery.
• To assess subjective memory decline post-cardiac procedures.
• To quantify the clinical relevance of observed memory changes on daily functioning.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from the Health and Retirement Study (2000-2014) on community-dwelling adults aged 65+.
• Modeled pre- to post-procedure memory change using composite memory scores and linear mixed-effects models.
• Analyzed subjective memory decline using logistic regression.

Main Results:

• No significant difference in objective memory change was found between cardiac surgery and catheterization groups.
• The estimated memory decline, if causal, would minimally impact abilities to manage medications or finances.
• Cardiac surgery was not associated with increased subjective memory decline.

Conclusions:

• Memory declines following heart surgery and cardiac catheterization were comparable in this cohort.
• Adverse cognitive effects of cardiac surgery at the population level appear to be subtle in the intermediate term.
• Findings suggest that the cognitive impact of cardiac procedures may be less pronounced than previously feared.