Heart failure may affect attention span, problem-solving skills early: Study

People with heart failure are likely to experience a significant decrease in cognitive abilities like attention and problem-solving, according to a study on Thursday.

Researchers from the University of Michigan, US examined the cognitive abilities of nearly 30,000 adults over time, comparing those who did and did not develop heart failure.

The researchers found heart failure is associated with a significant decrease in cognition at the time of diagnosis.

Global cognition and executive functioning also declined more rapidly over the years after heart failure diagnosis.

The team found that people with the condition mentally aged the equivalent of 10 years within just seven years of a heart failure diagnosis.

“Heart failure is a disease that never goes away and treating it relies heavily on a patient’s ability to follow specific instructions, monitor their symptoms, and keep up with many different medications,” said Supriya Shore, first author and clinical assistant professor of internal medicine-cardiology at University of Michigan Medical School.

“Seeing this cognitive decline among patients, and how it worsens over time after a diagnosis of heart failure, should be a warning for providers to assess a patient’s cognitive ability early and factor it into the care plan,” she added.

Notably, the study, published in the journal Circulation: Heart Failure, showed that the typical risk factors for cognitive impairment, such as high blood pressure and heart attack, did not explain the accelerated decline observed in the participants with heart failure.

The largest decrease in global cognition — a composite of several features of cognitive ability, including attention and problem-solving — occurred among older adults, women, and white participants.

Adults with heart failure reached the threshold for meaningful decline in global cognition nearly six years earlier than people without it. Executive functioning would diminish around four-and-a-half years earlier.

Globally, an estimated 64 million people suffer heart failure. Monitoring these people, although complex, may prevent cognitive decline in adults, said the team.

“Regular cognitive monitoring of older adults with heart failure would help identify individuals with the earliest signs of cognitive decline who require supportive care,” said Deborah A. Levine, Professor of internal medicine and neurology at the varsity.

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