Heart disease affects brain health – Their biochemical connection has been revealed

Cardiologists say there is a close connection between heart and brain pathologies and call for early prevention of heart disease. 

Recent research from the American Heart Association has found that three heart conditions have a direct impact on brain health. 

1. Atrial fibrillation

An irregular heart rhythm indicates a high risk of stroke, which damages the brain and can trigger the development of dementia. Fibrillation gradually weakens the heart, making it less able to pump the amount of blood needed by the brain. A decrease in oxygen and nutrients leads to a deterioration in cognitive function.

Many people have difficulty feeling arrhythmia, so it is best not to neglect regular checkups to detect abnormalities on the ECG. 

2. Heart failure

There are many reasons why the heart muscle does not work properly, including arrhythmia, the aftermath of a heart attack, valve prolapse, excess weight, obstructive apnea, high blood pressure, smoking, and type 2 diabetes.

Reduced blood flow in heart failure affects a person’s cognitive abilities – speech skills deteriorate, memory suffers, and the ability to communicate with others suffers.

3. Ischemic heart disease

In a state of ischemia, plaques form in the arteries. The lumen of the vessels narrows, blood flow is blocked, the heart suffers from a lack of oxygen, and the risk of stroke or heart attack increases. 

Insufficient blood supply to the heart muscle is fraught with a heart attack. It has been proven that about a third of people with chronic cardiac ischemia are at risk of developing dementia. 

As the study showed, neurodegeneration and heart disease are biochemically linked and have a common genetic predisposition. The first signs of brain degradation are detected by analyzing the cardiovascular system. In other words, if your genetic test shows a high predisposition to heart disease, your brain health deserves special attention. 

Doctors call disease prevention the key to health and active longevity. Timely detection of cardiovascular risk factors will help prevent or delay pathological processes. Changes in blood vessels begin long before any visible symptoms appear, so prevention should be considered as early as possible.