Researchers from University College London have discovered that hidden heart damage, detectable by levels of troponin I, can predict the risk of developing dementia well before the first symptoms appear. The results of a 25-year observation of nearly 6000 people have been published in the European Heart Journal (EHJ).
The scientists used a high-sensitivity analysis on cardiac troponin I – a protein that even in small concentrations indicates microdamage to the heart muscle. The study participants were aged 45-69 at the start of the observation and then underwent regular tests for cognitive functions and brain MRIs. Over the course of the observation period, dementia was diagnosed in 10 percent of the participants.
It was found that even a moderate increase in troponin in middle age is associated with a 10 percent increased risk of dementia. In individuals with concentrations higher than 5.2 ng/L, the volume of gray matter was reduced after 15 years, and the hippocampus – the structure responsible for memory – was markedly atrophied, equivalent to an accelerated brain aging of 2-3 years.
The authors suggest that chronic microdamage to the heart worsens blood supply to the brain and accelerates neurodegeneration. In their opinion, the troponin test could become a new tool for early prognosis of cognitive impairments and dementia prevention, especially in middle-aged individuals with cardiovascular risk factors.
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