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Associations between coronary heart disease and risk of cognitive impairment: A meta-analysis

Xuan Liang1, Yilin Huang1, Xu Han2

  • 1Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China.

Brain and Behavior
|March 20, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Coronary heart disease (CHD) significantly increases the risk of cognitive impairment. This meta-analysis confirms a positive association between CHD and cognitive decline, particularly vascular dementia.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Neurology
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Conflicting study results highlight the need to clarify the relationship between coronary heart disease (CHD) and cognitive impairment.
  • Previous research presents a complex picture, with some studies indicating a strong link and others finding no association.
  • Understanding this association is crucial for public health and clinical practice.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To conduct a meta-analysis to definitively explore the association between coronary heart disease (CHD) and the risk of cognitive impairment.
  • To synthesize existing research to provide a clearer understanding of the CHD-cognitive impairment link.
  • To evaluate the risk of cognitive impairment in patients with established CHD.

Main Methods:

  • A comprehensive literature search was performed across major databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Medline, EMBASE, Google Scholar) for studies published before November 2020.
  • Meta-analysis was conducted using STATA 12.0 to calculate relative risks (RRs), odds ratios (ORs), and hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs).
  • Random effects models were employed to account for heterogeneity in study results.

Main Results:

  • A significant positive association was found between coronary heart disease (CHD) and the risk of all-cause cognitive impairment (RR = 1.27, 95% CI 1.18-1.36).
  • Myocardial infarction (MI) was also positively associated with an increased risk of cognitive impairment (RR = 1.49, 95% CI 1.20-1.84).
  • While CHD patients showed a higher risk for vascular dementia (VD) (RR = 1.34), no significant association was observed with Alzheimer's disease (AD) (RR = 0.99).

Conclusions:

  • Coronary heart disease (CHD) is significantly associated with an elevated risk of developing cognitive impairment.
  • The findings suggest that cardiovascular health plays a critical role in maintaining cognitive function.
  • Further research may focus on specific mechanisms linking CHD to vascular dementia.
Abstract

Keywords:
Alzheimer's diseasecoronary heart diseasedementiameta-analysis

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