Research Shows Heart Health Supports Brain Health

Research continues to mount supporting the idea that a healthy heart supports a healthy mind.

In a recent study, elderly individuals who met more of the seven goals set forth for heart-healthy living thought faster and had less memory and thinking skills decline after six years.

The study’s results underlined the importance of physicians and patients monitoring their heart health factors to ensure the best possible cardiovascular and brain health.

The study, which was published in March 2016 in the Journal of the American Heart Association, involved more than 1,000 people who averaged 72 years of age. About 65 percent were Hispanic, 19 percent black and 16 percent white.

Participants were evaluated on how closely they met “Life’s Simple Seven,” which guidelines created by The American Heart Association for heart-healthy living.

Life’s Simple Seven includes:

• Managing blood pressure
• Maintaining healthy cholesterol levels
• Reducing blood sugar levels
• Maintaining an active lifestyle
• Eating a healthy, balanced diet
• Maintaining a healthy weight
• Abstaining from smoking

Fifteen percent met only one goal of the seven, 33 percent met two, 30 percent met three, 14 percent met four, 4 percent met five, and only 1 percent met six of the seven goals. No participants met all seven. And 3 percent did not meet a single goal.

Researchers tests participants’ brain-processing speeds and memory skills at the beginning of the study. Six years later, 722 participants repeated the tests. The researchers found that the individuals who were heart healthier also had better brain-processing speed at the start of the study and showed less deterioration at the six-year follow-up tests.

This suggests vascular health could be important to cognitive performance and decline with aging. But it should be noted the study proved only an association, not a cause-and-effect relationship.