Novel heart ultrasound measures can be used to predict risk of
developing dementia

Date:
March 22, 2022
Source:
University of Minnesota Medical School
Summary:
New research assessed if there is a link between heart health
and dementia.



FULL STORY ========================================================================== Published in JAMA, research from the University of Minnesota assessed
if there is a link between heart health and dementia.


========================================================================== Using echocardiography -- visual ultrasound of the heart -- the research
team was able to identify novel measures that are linked to a higher
dementia risk.

"Atrial myopathy, a condition characterized by abnormal left atrial
function and size, is an independent risk factor for dementia," said
Dr. Lin Yee Chen, director of the cardiac electrophysiology section at the
U of M Medical School and M Health Fairview, and principal investigator
of the NIH grant that funded this study. "In this community-based cohort
study, lower left atrial function was associated with higher risk of
dementia." The study observed a cohort of 4,096 participants with an
average age of 35 years. Participants were 60% women, 22% Black and 78%
white. Of the cohort, there were 531 participants who developed dementia
over a six year period.

When comparing the lowest to the highest quintile of left atrial function measures (reservoir strain, conduit strain, and contractile strain),
the lowest quintile was significantly associated with 1.5 to 2.0-fold
higher risk of developing dementia. These associations were independent of cardiovascular disease and atrial fibrillation. The research team found
that the more common measures of left atrial size were not significantly associated with dementia.

"Results of this epidemiological study improve our understanding of the
link between cardiovascular disease and increased risk of dementia,"
said Jacqueline D. Wright, Dr.P.H., a program officer in the division of cardiovascular sciences at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute,
part of the National Institutes of Health. "This study suggests that
atrial myopathy increases risk of dementia, independently of atrial fibrillation. Further research may confirm this finding, help us to better define and diagnose atrial myopathy, and ultimately lead to improved
treatments that reduce the chance of developing dementia later in life." Researchers recommend additional studies to confirm their findings and
to establish a robust definition for atrial myopathy.

This research was funded by the National Institutes of Health National
Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; National Institute of Neurological
Disorders and Stroke; National Institute on Aging; and National Institute
on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.

Research reported in this release was supported by the NIH under
the following grant numbers: HHSN268201700001I,HHSN268201700002I, HSN268201700003I, HHSN268201700005I, and HHSN268201700004I; U01
2U01HL096812, 2U01HL096814, 2U01HL096899, 2U01HL096902, and 2U01HL096917; R01-HL70825; T32GM132063; P30AG066511; K24HL148521; R01HL126637,
R01HL141288, and K24HL155813; and R01HL135008, R01HL143224, R01HL150342, R01HL148218, K24HL152008.


========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by
University_of_Minnesota_Medical_School. Original written by Kat
Dodge. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Wendy Wang, Michael J. Zhang, Riccardo M. Inciardi, Faye L. Norby,
Michelle C. Johansen, Romil Parikh, Jeremy R. Van't Hof, Alvaro
Alonso, Elsayed Z. Soliman, Thomas H. Mosley, Rebecca F. Gottesman,
Amil M. Shah, Scott D. Solomon, Lin Yee Chen. Association
of Echocardiographic Measures of Left Atrial Function and
Size With Incident Dementia. JAMA, 2022; 327 (12): 1138 DOI:
10.1001/jama.2022.2518 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/03/220322122557.htm

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