Description: High blood pressure, chest pains, or an irregular heartbeat may speed memory loss in Alzheimer’s patients, according to a Johns Hopkins University study reported by the American Academy of Neurology.

The study followed 135 newly diagnosed elderly people, 62% of which reported vascular factors, for three years.

Those with high blood pressure experienced cognitive decline at twice the rate of other Alzheimer’s patients, and decline was markedly faster in those with chest pains or irregular heartbeat because of lack of blood supply, author Michelle Mielke, MD, reported.

Vascular factors also included a previous heart attack or stroke, coronary artery bypass surgery, and diabetes.