A new study has found that people with coronary artery disease (CAD) may experience changes in their brain’s white matter before any signs of memory loss or thinking problems appear.
CAD is a condition in which the blood vessels that supply the heart become narrowed or blocked. While doctors have long known that CAD raises the risk of stroke and dementia, they have not fully understood how it affects the brain itself—until now.
Researchers at Concordia University in Canada looked closely at how CAD influences white matter. White matter is the part of the brain made up of nerve fibers that connect different brain regions. It acts like a communication highway, helping different parts of the brain share information quickly and efficiently.
In this study, the researchers used advanced MRI brain scans and mental performance tests to compare 43 people with CAD to 36 healthy people over the age of 50. They used a new method that combines 12 different measurements into one overall view of white matter health.
Although each measurement by itself showed only small differences between the two groups, when viewed together, they revealed a much clearer picture.
The researchers found that the people with CAD had more widespread damage to white matter. The most noticeable changes were in areas of the brain that are supplied by the middle and anterior cerebral arteries—areas that are very important for movement and thinking.
The changes were mainly related to a loss of myelin. Myelin is the fatty coating around nerve fibers that helps brain signals travel quickly and smoothly. When myelin breaks down, brain communication slows down, which can lead to thinking problems over time.
Importantly, the study found that even though CAD patients had signs of white matter damage, their overall thinking abilities were not yet worse than the healthy group.
However, people with healthier myelin in their brains performed better on tests of processing speed. This suggests that brain damage may start quietly before any symptoms are noticeable.
Lead author Zacharie Potvin-Jutras, a Ph.D. student, explained that their goal was to study people at the early stages of heart disease, before a stroke or clear cognitive issues occur. By catching these changes early, doctors might have more time to help patients avoid more serious brain problems.
Senior researcher Professor Claudine Gauthier added that the team’s method—combining many small brain measurements into one single marker—made it easier to see early signs of damage. This new marker could help spot brain changes earlier and open up possibilities for preventive care.
The researchers believe that focusing on myelin health could be an important way to protect the brain in people with heart disease. They suggest that lifestyle changes like regular exercise, healthy eating, and managing stress might improve myelin health and prevent cognitive decline.
In conclusion, this study shows that heart disease doesn’t just affect the heart—it can also slowly harm the brain. By paying attention to these early signs, doctors may one day help people protect their brain health before any problems begin.
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The study is published in The Journal of Neuroscience.
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