A new study found that Black women with poor cardiovascular health may face an increased risk of early signs of cognitive decline in midlife. The study, published in the American Heart Association journal, included approximately 363 Black women and 402 White women who participated in a Chicago site of the Women's Health Across the Nation study when they were between the ages of 42 and 52. Cognition (measured by processing speed and working memory) was assessed annually or biannually over a maximum of 20 years, with an average follow-up of 9.8 years. The team also calculated cardiovascular health indicators based on a checklist known as Life Essential 8, which includes 8 essential factors to ensure good heart health: blood pressure, body mass index, glucose, cholesterol, smoking, physical activity, diet, and sleep.
The study aimed to determine whether cardiovascular health was equally linked to cognitive decline in both Black and White women in midlife. It appeared that processing speed, a key indicator of early cognitive decline, decreased among Black women with poor cardiovascular health starting in midlife, but not among White women. Working memory did not decline in the overall study group, nor in either racial or cardiovascular health-based groups.
Study co-author Dr. Imke Jansen from Rush University Medical Center stated, "The findings suggest that promoting cardiovascular health, particularly managing blood pressure and quitting smoking, in midlife for Black women may be important for early prevention of cognitive decline and maintaining independence during aging. Clinical trials should determine whether improving heart health in midlife slows cognitive decline."
