Coronary heart disease (CHD) and heart failure (HF) are associated with an increased risk of dementia, according to a recent review and meta-analysis. Researchers systematically reviewed the literature and meta-analyzed risk estimates from longitudinal studies reporting the association of CHD or HF with risk of dementia. They identified 16 studies (1,309,483 individuals) regarding CHD, and 7 studies (1,958,702 individuals) about HF and found:

• A history of CHD was associated with a 27% increased risk of dementia, albeit with considerable heterogeneity across studies (I² = 80%).
• HF was associated with 60% increased dementia risk with moderate heterogeneity (I² = 59%).
• Among prospective population-based cohorts, pooled estimates were similar (for CHD, RR 1.26 [1.06–1.49], 9 studies; and HF, RR 1.80 [1.41–2.31], 4 studies) and highly consistent (I² = 0%).