Brain may age faster in people whose hearts pump less blood

September, 2010

A large study confirms that your cardiac health affects your brain, and provides evidence that the extent of this problem is greater than we think.

I have often spoken of the mantra: What’s good for your heart is good for your brain. The links between cardiovascular risk factors and cognitive decline gets more confirmation in this latest finding that people whose hearts pumped less blood had smaller brains than those whose hearts pumped more blood. The study involved 1,504 participants of the decades-long Framingham Offspring Cohort who did not have a history of stroke, transient ischemic attack or dementia. Participants were 34 to 84 years old.

Worryingly, it wasn’t simply those with the least amount of blood pumping from the heart who had significantly more brain atrophy (equivalent to almost two years more brain aging) than the people with the highest cardiac index. Those with levels at the bottom end of normal showed similar levels of brain atrophy. Moreover, although only 7% of the participants had heart disease, 30% had a low cardiac index.

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-08/aha-bma072810.php

Reference:

[1785] Jefferson, A. L., Himali J. J., Beiser A. S., Au R., Massaro J. M., Seshadri S., et al.
(2010). Cardiac Index Is Associated With Brain Aging: The Framingham Heart Study.
Circulation. 122(7), 690 - 697.

seniors

Aging

Related News

Simple semantic task reveals early cognitive problems in older adults

A small study shows how those on the road to Alzheimer’s show early semantic problems long before memory problems arise, and that such problems can affect daily life.

Feeling lonely linked to increased dementia risk

There's quite a bit of evidence now that socializing — having frequent contact with others — helps protect against cognitive impairment in old age. We also know that depression is a risk factor for cognitive impairment and dementia.

Social isolation decreases myelin

Problems with myelin — demyelination (seen most dramatically in MS, but also in other forms of neurodegeneration, including normal

Dopamine decline underlies episodic memory decline in old age

The

Timing of hormone therapy critical for Alzheimer's risk

It’s been unclear whether hormone therapy helps older women reduce their risk of Alzheimer’s or in fact increases the risk.

Diet affects your chance of cognitive impairment in old age

In a large Mayo Clinic study, self-reported diet was found to be significantly associated with the risk of seniors developing mild cognitive impairment or dementia over a four-year period.

Exercise may be best way to protect against brain shrinkage

A study using data from the Lothian Birth Cohort (people born in Scotland in 1936) has analyzed brain scans of 638 participants when they were 73 years old.

Caffeine may block inflammation linked to cognitive impairment

Caffeine has been associated with a lower of developing Alzheimer's disease in some recent studies.

How green tea helps fight cognitive decline & dementia

Green tea is thought to have wide-ranging health benefits, especially in the prevention of cardiovascular disease, inflammatory diseases, and diabetes.

Are sleep problems a key factor in Alzheimer’s?

I reported a few months ago on some evidence of a link between disturbed sleep and the development of Alzheimer’s. Now a mouse study adds to this evidence.

Pages