According to a new study published by the American Heart Association, your heart and brain health are connected. Dementia is typically considered a relentless and incurable condition that cannot be prevented. However, adopting a healthier lifestyle and addressing any potential vascular risk factors may help preserve brain function. According to the American Heart Association, almost 130 million American adults have some form of heart condition. Therefore, recognizing and treating potential heart diseases should be a priority in your life. In the article below, we will look at eight common dementia heart conditions.
Plaque in the Arteries
Coronary heart disease is characterized by plaque buildup in the arteries. It is regarded as a leading cause of death all around the world. In fact, according to the World Health Organization, fatalities increased from 6.4 million in 2000 to 9.1 million in 2021. This condition doesn’t only affect the heart but also impacts one’s brain health. The narrowing of arteries caused by high blood pressure and coronary heart disease can impair the blood flow. This damages small brain blood vessels and can lead to cognitive impairment. The American Heart Association has stated that individuals who have coronary heart disease have a 27% higher risk of developing dementia. It often begins in people’s 40s and 50s without any apparent warning signs at first.
Heart Failure and Heart Attacks
How often would you guess that heart attacks happen in America? Well, according to the American Heart Association, someone in the United States has a heart attack approximately every 40 seconds. Furthermore, up to 50% of heart attack survivors experience some loss of brain function, eventually resulting in cognitive impairment. Heart failure is a more serious condition characterized by the heart not being able to pump enough blood and oxygen. It is a condition that affects up to 81% of patients and can lead to cognitive decline that impacts one’s memory and capacity for critical thinking. Emerging research has uncovered a complex relationship between our hearts and brains. Heart risk factors such as diabetes can elevate the beta-amyloid levels in your brain, a known marker for Alzheimer’s disease. This protein has also been linked to heart dysfunction, which points to a strong biochemical connection between the two organs.
Dementia Heart Conditions and Atrial Fibrillation
Atrial fibrillation, also known as A-fib, refers to an irregular heartbeat that has typically been described as a fluttering or quivering sensation in the chest. Atrial fibrillation is known to be the leading cause of strokes in America. Strokes resulting from atrial fibrillation tend to be far more severe than those caused by other underlying conditions. Microhemorrhages are small brain bleeds that often result in cognitive decline and are more prevalent in individuals with A-fib. In fact, individuals with A-fib are said to have a 39% increased risk of developing issues with their memories.
Lifestyle Changes
We are lucky to have modern medicines that prevent or slow down heart disease, such as cholesterol-lowering drugs and statins. However, this is only if caught early, therefore having regular checkups and taking prescribed medicines is essential. Yet, there is a limit to what can be accomplished with medicine. For instance, the aggressive treatment of high blood pressure may help reduce milder forms of cognitive impairment, yet not prevent dementia. We as a species were designed to live very different lifestyles to the ones we live today. Therefore, it’s important to learn what a healthy lifestyle is and which factors boost brain health.
Prioritizing Sleep
Getting proper sleep has several health benefits, such as sharpening the brain, improving energy levels, and boosting your mood. Individuals whose sleep is constantly interrupted in their 30s and 40s are twice as likely to develop thinking and memory issues a decade later. The ideal amount of restorative sleep occurs when you can go through all four sleep stages uninterrupted four to six times every night. With each cycle lasting around 90 minutes, most individuals require approximately seven to eight hours of continuous sleep to reach this target.
Focusing on Nutrients
It’s important to choose a healthier plant-based diet, such as the highly-rated Mediterranean diet. A study found that certain anti-inflammatory diets that included whole grains, fruits, and vegetables lower one’s dementia risk by 31%. This benefit remained even for individuals with conditions such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and strokes.
Reducing Your Stress Levels
High cortisol levels can harm the areas of the brain that control movement and information processing. A study from 2023 also linked high stress to having a 37% greater risk of developing cognitive decline. Experts have noted that while stress isn’t always harmful to everyone, viewing it as a challenge can help. The W.H.O. recommends managing stress by sleeping well, eating nutritious foods, and reducing your time spent online. Connecting with other people and practicing meditation or deep breathing can also significantly lower your stress levels. Regular physical activity, though, remains one of the most effective methods of reducing one’s stress levels.
The Importance of Exercise for Dementia Heart Conditions
If there’s one lifestyle change to prioritize, make it exercise. The CDC recommends aiming for 150 minutes of moderate exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise each week. How do you know if you are exercising hard enough or too hard? Well, it is said that with moderate activity, you should be able to talk but not sing comfortably. Conversely, vigorous activities, including swimming, jogging, or playing basketball, make talking normally difficult. Furthermore, adding strength training to your workout routine is also important.
Read More: Scientists Discover Two New Dementia Risk Factors