Overview
- The European Heart Journal paper tracked just under 6,000 UK civil servants who had high-sensitivity troponin measured at ages 45–69 and were followed for about 25 years with repeated cognitive tests.
- During follow-up, 695 participants were diagnosed with dementia, and those in the highest troponin group had a 38% higher chance of developing the condition than those in the lowest group.
- Elevated troponin levels were evident in blood samples taken seven to 25 years before dementia diagnosis, indicating a long preclinical window.
- In a brain-MRI sub-study of 641 people, higher baseline troponin was linked to smaller hippocampal and lower grey-matter volumes roughly 15 years later.
- The British Heart Foundation, which funded the research, urged people to protect brain health by controlling blood pressure and cholesterol, staying active, keeping a healthy weight, and not smoking.