Poor heart health in midlife, particularly in people in their 50s, is linked to a significantly higher risk of developing dementia later in life, with early warning signs detectable up to 25 years before diagnosis. Troponin levels, a marker of heart muscle damage, were found to be consistently higher in those who went on to develop dementia, even in people without known heart disease or symptoms. Participants with the highest troponin levels had a 38 percent greater likelihood of developing dementia and showed signs of smaller hippocampal volume—a brain region vital for memory—in later years. Experts emphasize prevention, saying that controlling blood pressure,…

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