Lower your heart rate to reduce risk of dementia

ELDERLY people with a faster resting heart rate are at greater risk of developing dementia, a study suggests.

Checking everyone’s pulse may be a quick and easy way of identifying potential victims early, researchers say.

Those at heightened risk can then be given lifestyle advice aimed at keeping the disease at bay.

This may involve taking regular exercise that gives the heart a good workout and lowers the resting heart rate. There is also medication that can help slow the pace.

Scientists from the Karolinska Institutet, Sweden, issued their advice after analysing data on 2,147 people aged 60 and over, who were tracked for up to 12 years.

Participants with a resting heart rate of 80 beats per minute or higher were 55% more likely to develop dementia than those with a heart rate of 60 to 69. They were also more likely to see a faster decline in memory and thinking skills.

The associations remained significant after adjusting for factors that are known to increase the risk, such as cardiovascular disease.

The researchers say imbalanced nerve activity or stiffened arteries may explain the apparent link between heart rate and dementia.

Writing in the medical journal Alzheimer’s & Dementia, they conclude: ‘Higher resting heart rate is associated with increased risk for dementia and faster cognitive decline independent of cardiovascular diseases in a general population of elderly people.’

Leading author Dr Yume Imahori added: ‘We believe it would be valuable to explore if resting heart rate could identify patients with high dementia risk.

‘If we follow such patients’ cognitive function carefully and intervene early, the onset of dementia might be delayed.’

She continued: ‘Our study suggests a possibility that older people might be able to reduce the risk of dementia through exercise and a reduction in heart rate.

‘But our study is an observational study so we need more studies to confirm our results.

‘My advice is to do regular exercise and increase physical activity, which may result in low risk for dementia. A subsequent decrease in heart rate may also help.’

Researchers caution that their findings may have been affected by the fact that more participants with cardiovascular disease died during the follow-up period and so did not have time to develop dementia.

According to the Alzheimer’s Association of Ireland, there are 64,000 people living with dementia in Ireland.

There is currently no cure for the disease but evidence suggests adopting a healthy lifestyle, with a good diet, exercise and low alcohol intake can reduce the risk.

Dr Rosa Sancho, head of research at Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: ‘While this research doesn’t prove that elevated heart rate causes dementia, it highlights a link between the two.

‘Research tells us that it’s never too late in life to take steps that can help reduce our dementia risk.

‘Evidence suggests that being physically active, and eating a healthy, balanced diet, are just some of the things you can do.’

‘Onset of disease could be delayed’