Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2023;69(2):140-148.
doi: 10.1159/000523845. Epub 2022 May 5.

High-Sensitivity Cardiac Troponin T and Cognitive Decline in Older Adults: Results of the Berlin Aging Study II

Regina von Rennenberg  1   2   3 , Thomas Liman  1   2   4 , Christian H Nolte  1   2   3   4 , Alexander H Nave  1   2   4   5 , Jan F Scheitz  1   2   4 , Sandra Düzel  6 , Vera Regitz-Zagrosek  4   7 , Denis Gerstorf  8 , Elisabeth Steinhagen-Thiessen  9 , Ilja Demuth  9   10 , Matthias Endres  1   2   3   4   5
Affiliations

High-Sensitivity Cardiac Troponin T and Cognitive Decline in Older Adults: Results of the Berlin Aging Study II

Regina von Rennenberg et al. Gerontology. 2023.

Abstract

Introduction: There is evidence of an association between markers of cardiac injury and cognition in patients with cardiovascular disease. We hypothesized that levels of high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT) are associated with cognitive performance and cognitive decline in a population of predominantly healthy older adults.

Methods: We included 1,226 predominantly healthy adults ≥60 years from the Berlin Aging Study II. Participants were recruited from the general population of the Berlin metropolitan area from 2009 to 2014. At baseline, participants underwent measurement of hs-cTnT and cognitive testing using the extended Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease (CERAD-Plus) battery. In addition, the Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DSST) was performed at baseline and at follow-up (7.3 ± 1.4 years after the baseline visit). The CERAD test results were summarized into four cognitive domains (processing speed, executive function, visuo-construction, and memory). After summing-up the respective raw scores, we calculated standardized z scores. We performed unadjusted and adjusted linear regression models to assess links between hs-cTnT and cognitive domains. We used linear mixed models to analyze associations between hs-cTnT and cognitive decline according to changes in DSST scores over time.

Results: The mean age of study participants at baseline was 68.5 (±3.6) years, 49% were female, and median hs-cTnT levels were 6 ng/L (IQR 4-8 ng/L). We detected no significant association between hs-cTnT and different cognitive domains at baseline after adjustment for age, sex, education, and cardiovascular risk factors. Hs-cTnT was associated with cognitive decline, which remained statistically significant after full adjustment (adjusted beta-coefficient -0.82 (-1.28 to -0.36), p = 0.001). After stratification for sex, the association with hs-cTnT remained statistically significant in men but not in women.

Conclusion: Higher hs-cTnT levels in older men are associated with cognitive decline measured with the DSST.

Keywords: Cardiac troponin; Cognitive decline; Heart-brain axis.

PubMed Disclaimer

Publication types