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Congenital heart disease increases the risk of dementia

New study results published in Circulation.

Carina N. Bagge, B.Sc., lead author of the study and a medical student in the Department of Clinical Epidemiology

People with congenital heart disease who survive to adulthood have an increased risk of developing dementia compared with people without heart defects. In particular, the risk of developing early dementia before the age of 65 years is markedly increased as it is 2.6 times as high as in people without heart defects. This is the result of a study by researchers from Department of Clinical Epidemiology. The study is based on 10,632 people with congenital heart defects and 106,320 controls from the general population. Study results have been published in Circulation. Read more about the study here.