Overview
- Analysis of nearly 6,000 Whitehall II participants tested at ages 45–69 found 695 dementia cases over about 25 years of follow‑up.
- Those in the highest troponin group had a 38% greater likelihood of dementia than those in the lowest group, with elevations seen 7–25 years pre‑diagnosis.
- Elevated midlife troponin was associated with faster declines in memory, thinking and problem‑solving on repeated cognitive testing.
- In a subset of 641 with MRI, higher levels predicted smaller hippocampal and reduced grey‑matter volumes roughly 15 years after baseline.
- Authors urge control of midlife cardiovascular risks, and the British Heart Foundation underscored the heart–brain link and a £10 million investment in vascular‑dementia research.