A new report from the American Heart Association reveals a strong connection between heart health and brain health.
The statement, titled “Cardiac Contributions to Brain Health,” explains that three common heart conditions—heart failure, atrial fibrillation, and coronary heart disease—are linked to memory problems and a higher risk of dementia.
Published in the journal Stroke, the statement reviews recent studies on how the brain and heart affect each other. Dr. Fernando Testai, chair of the writing group and a professor at the University of Illinois, said that both stroke and memory loss are major health issues that impact many people.
He emphasized the importance of taking care of heart health early in life to prevent heart disease and protect the brain later on.
Dr. Testai also noted that while many people see dementia as a disease that cannot be stopped, research shows that making healthy lifestyle choices and managing heart-related risk factors early can help protect brain function and reduce the chances of Alzheimer’s and related diseases.
Heart failure is one of the top public health problems. It is often caused by conditions such as high blood pressure, obesity, and type 2 diabetes. People with heart failure often have trouble thinking clearly, and nearly half experience some form of memory or thinking difficulty.
This can affect how well they care for themselves or manage medications. In more serious cases, brain damage caused by poor blood flow, inflammation, and other changes can become permanent. There may also be a shared genetic link betw…
Atrial fibrillation is the most common heart rhythm issue in adults. It is well known to raise stroke risk, but it may also affect thinking ability. A large analysis found that atrial fibrillation raises the risk of memory and thinking problems by 39%.
Many factors are shared between atrial fibrillation and dementia, such as diabetes, smoking, high blood pressure, and older age. These can lead to damage in the brain’s blood vessels and reduce blood flow, harming brain function. Inflammation and tiny brain …
Treating atrial fibrillation may help prevent memory problems. Medications to prevent blood clots and procedures to restore normal heart rhythm, such as catheter ablation, are being studied to see if they also help maintain brain health.
Coronary heart disease also increases the risk of dementia. A review of over one million people found that those with this type of heart disease were 27% more likely to develop dementia. Up to half of patients may have trouble thinking after a heart attack.
Studies show that heart attacks are linked to faster declines in memory and problem-solving ability. The build-up of calcium in the arteries also raises the risk of memory loss.
Heart disease affects brain function in many ways. It causes inflammation, reduces blood flow, and damages small blood vessels in the brain. These issues are also common in Alzheimer’s patients, suggesting a close link between heart disease and brain degeneration. Some genes that raise heart disease risk may also affect brain size and function.
While research is ongoing, evidence shows that managing heart-related risks can help protect the brain. Treating high blood pressure has already shown some benefits for preventing mild memory loss. Lifestyle changes, such as eating well and staying active, may also support long-term brain health.
Dr. Testai concluded that while new drugs for Alzheimer’s are being developed, prevention is still the best option. More studies are needed to understand how heart care can improve brain function and how gender, race, and ethnicity may play a role in this connection.
He added that doctors should take a whole-body approach to care, supporting good heart health from an early age. The American Heart Association recommends using tools like Life’s Essential 8 to monitor and improve heart health throughout life, which may also reduce the risk of memory loss and dementia.
If you care about heart health, please read studies about why light-to-moderate drinking is linked to better heart health and reconsidering the long-term use of high blood pressure beta blockers after a heart attack.
If you care about heart health, please read studies about heart disease hidden and essential vitamins for heart health: a guide to a healthy heart.
The study is published in Stroke.
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