Poor heart health in middle age linked to dementia in old age: Study

Poor Heart Health in Middle Age Linked to Dementia in Old Age: Study

Medicine has traditionally treated the heart and brain as separate entities. However, a new British study reveals a stronger connection between heart health in middle age and dementia risk in later years.

The Whitehall Study Overview

This 25-year research followed nearly 6,000 British civil servants aged 45 to 69, focusing on a blood protein called cardiac troponin I. The presence of troponin I in the blood indicates heart muscle damage and is commonly used to diagnose heart attacks.

Troponin I and Its Significance

Advancements in blood testing have increased sensitivity, allowing detection of minute levels of troponin I, much lower than those seen during heart attacks. Such minor elevations, though not causing symptoms like chest pain, signal underlying heart strain.

Key Findings

Participants with the highest midlife troponin I levels were 38% more likely to develop dementia later compared to those with the lowest levels.
These small increases in troponin indicate subtle heart muscle damage that precedes dementia by decades.

"People with the highest levels of troponin I in midlife were 38 per cent more likely to be diagnosed with dementia later in life than those with the lowest levels."

The study suggests heart and brain health are linked more closely than previously understood, especially as we age.

Summary: This long-term study highlights that minor heart muscle damage detected in middle age significantly increases the risk of dementia decades later, emphasizing the connection between cardiovascular and brain health.

The New Daily — 2025-11-12