“Because dementia is so feared among older adults and their families, it’s understandable and appropriate that it may weigh heavily on the decisions for all types of care, including heart attack care,” adds co-author Kenneth Langa, M.D., Ph.D., a professor of internal medicine at Michigan Medicine and a member of the Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation. “Our study emphasizes the importance of differentiating between MCI and dementia and of educating patients, families and clinicians on the relative risks of further cognitive decline versus common cardiovascular conditions for people with MCI.”

More about Older heart attack patients with mild cognitive impairment get fewer treatments, according to Langa et al. >