Study suggests link between heart disease and cognitive problems

NEW YORK A study published July 23 in the European Heart Journal shows a relationship between heart disease and cognitive problems in middle-aged men and women.

The study examined 10,308 subjects aged 35 to 55 starting in the late 1980s. It recorded heart attacks and other heart problems up until 2004 and administered cognitive tests to 5,837 subjects.

The study found that subjects who developed heart disease scored lower on cognitive tests than those who did not. It could not determine, however, whether heart disease caused impairments or vice versa.