According to a study published in the journal Alzheimer’s & Dementia, having an elevated resting heart rate (RHR) in old age may be an independent risk factor for dementia.
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For the study, the team examined the resting heart rate of 2,147 individuals aged 60 years or older for a period of 12 years. They set out to determine whether resting heartbeat could be linked to dementia and cognitive decline, independent of other risk factors such as cardiovascular disease.
As per the findings, individuals with a resting heart rate of 80 beats per minute or higher on average had a 55 percent higher risk of dementia than those with a heart rate of 60-69 beats per minute.
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Maintaining a healthy lifestyle and cardiovascular health could help delay the onset of dementia and ease symptoms, researchers concluded.