Background

Impaired cardiac function has been related to accelerated cognitive decline in late-life.

Objective

To investigate whether higher levels of high sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT), a sensitive marker for myocardial injury, are associated with worse cognitive function in the oldest old.

Methods

In 455 participants of the population-based Leiden 85-plus Study, hs-cTnT was measured at 86 years. Cognitive function was measured annually during four years with the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE).

Results

Participants in the highest gender-specific tertile of hs-cTnT had a 2.0-point lower baseline MMSE score than participants in the lowest tertile (95% confidence interval (CI) (95% CI 0.73-3.3), and had a 0.58-point steeper annual decline in MMSE during follow-up (95% CI 0.06-1.1). The associations remained after adjusting for sociodemographic and cardiovascular risk factors excluding those without a history of overt cardiac disease.

Conclusion

In a population-based sample of the oldest old, higher levels of hs-cTnT were associated with worse cognitive function and faster cognitive decline, independently from cardiovascular risk factors and a history of overt cardiac disease.