Heart Disease Impairs Cognitive Abilities of the Brain

A Brainy Heart Indeed!

​Are you a heart or brain person? Do you think from your brain or feel from your heart? Your answer can determine your quality of life. Though heart and brain are two very different organs, they are interrelated in different aspects. Heart is the organ that pumps blood throughout the body helping each part of the body perform its duty and enable survival of the human. Damage to blood vessels can cause serious health conditions such as heart disease, stroke and dementia. Hence, blood vessel occupies prominent roles in keeping both your heart and the brain going strong and healthy.

A new study published in a reputed journal shows that individuals who are diagnosed with coronary heart disease are at a higher risk of cognitive decline later in life. This study is yet another valuable proof for how the heart and brain work in coordination together. Such clarity is possible because there are more and more people experiencing heart diseases, surviving them, undergoing operations and given medications.

The study involved stroke-free adults who were followed up for 12 years and had been diagnosed with a heart attack or angina where the former led to rapid memory loss compared to the latter problem. Researchers give many reasons for the effect of heart disease on brain functionality and most important is the impact of small blood vessels that could prevent oxygen supply to the brain. Many unhealthy habits and health conditions play a role in determining blood vessels health. These include sedentary lifestyle practices, obesity/overweight issues, high blood glucose levels and high blood pressure levels.

While the cognitive impairment might seem minimal initially these changes over the years can increase the risk of dementia greatly. And till now, we don’t have a cure for dementia and there are only measures available to keep the patient as comfortable as possible over the years. All that we can do is to take every step possible to detect, prevent or intervene during initial stages to stave off the problem or address it as efficiently as possible.

Heart patients must also be taught to analyze and report every concern regarding memory and cognition. Many times, many patients fail to comply with these suggestions and refrain from reporting any deviations in their normal cognitive routines to their physician. Both the doctor and the patient should interact with each other, go over the medications to ensure that they are taken properly, discuss on lifestyle routines, be sure about sleep routines and analyze mood swings (if any) to gauge the overall health of the patient and improvise on those areas that need attention.
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It is recommended to meet a registered dietitian nutritionist at www.firsteatright.com who can recommend a healthy eating plan for your health requirements. Generally, eat more of fruits, vegetables and whole grains, don’t smoke, abstain from drinking alcohol, keep your blood pressure levels under control, ensure that diabetes is well under normal ranges and stay active. Every individual is recommended to perform at least 150 minutes of physical activity every week which comes to around 30 minutes of activity five days a week. Even small activities such as taking the stairs, walking while talking or parking your car further away from the parking lot counts in your activity list.