Abstract P024: Nonsustained Ventricular Tachycardia is Independently Associated With Lower Cognitive Function: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study

Abstract

Introduction: -- Atrial fibrillation is associated with greater cognitive decline and increased risk of dementia. Little is known about whether other arrhythmias, such as nonsustained ventricular tachycardia (NSVT), are associated with cognition. We aimed to assess the cross-sectional association of NSVT with cognitive test scores in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study. Methods: We included 1367 (mean age, 79 ± 5 years; 55% female; 19% non-white race) participants who underwent cognitive tests and ≥2 days of heart rhythm recording using the Zio ® Patch (a non-invasive, leadless, 2-week ambulatory continuous ECG recording device by iRhythm Technologies, Inc.) in July 2013-February 2017. NSVT was defined as a wide complex tachycardia >4 beats with a rate >100 beats per minute. Burden was calculated as the number of NSVT episodes divided by recording time and split on the median into higher burden and lower burden. Cognitive domain-specific factor scores consisted of tests of memory, executive function and language. We used multiple linear regression to assess the association of NSVT with standardized z-scores of each cognitive domain. Results: The mean recording time of the Zio ® Patch was 12.6 ± 2.5 days. There were 399 (29%) participants with NSVT recorded, ranging from 0.5-439 episodes per week (median = 0.59; interquartile range = 0.51-1.50). Presence of NSVT was associated with lower memory and lower executive function, but not impaired language (Table). The associations were restricted to participants with higher burden of NSVT compared to those without NSVT (-0.22 z-score units, 95% confidence interval (CI) -0.41, -0.04 for memory, and -0.23, 95%CI -0.41, -0.05 for executive function) (Table). Conclusion: Presence and higher burden of NSVT are independently associated with lower cognitive function, specifically executive function and memory. Further research is warranted to elucidate the underlying mechanism.