Our hearts and minds are often at odds. But on one point they do align, and that is on vital matters of health. Research confirms that maintaining good heart health protects your brain. It keeps your brain mentally and physically fit and protects it from cognitive deterioration as you age.
According to a study conducted at the UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute, minor damage in the brain caused by "mini-strokes"—tiny strokes that come and go so quietly they do not leave any obvious impairment behind—progresses more extensively in people with common heart-health risk factors. This kind of brain damage was until recently thought to be a normal consequence of aging. The study sheds light on why some people age successfully, while others falter.
Those persons who suffered more acutely from mini-strokes were not mentally impaired in any diagnosable sense. But they were more likely to have vascular problems, such as hypertension or high cholesterol levels, and to smoke, says associate professor of psychiatry Ian Cook.
And despite the fact that they may not have been aware of any difficulties with their mental processing, they had physical damage to important brain structures. Those with the largest amount of structural brain damage were at "the bottom of the class," in terms of their performance on cognitive tests. "The connection between vascular disease and brain health is, in fact, connections," Cook explains. Damage to blood vessels essentially cuts communication routes between brain cells, by acting on cell-connecting white matter, the outer layer of the thinking brain.
The disconnections in turn disrupt mental functioning. And as more connections are lost, the damage can cause full-blown dementia, marked by memory loss, communication difficulties and diminished physical abilities. Vascular disease is also implicated in mood impairments. It is most closely linked with a form of depression common to those over the age of 60. Called vascular depression, its sufferers display apathy and mental fatigue. They tend to make specific cognitive errors, such as repeating mistakes even after they are told what it is they are getting wrong.
Preventive measures are key to protecting both cardiovascular and mental health. "When there is a narrowing of blood vessels anywhere in the body," Cook says," the brain, unfortunately, is not spared." Most people start making changes in their lifestyle only after they've had a stroke or heart attack. But Cook and his colleagues suggest that you clean up your act while you still have a healthy brain. "If you start wondering where you left your keys, maybe that's when you need to change your habits," says Cook. On average, mini-strokes start to occur when people reach 60. So act now to prevent them.
There are many ways to ward off cardiovascular damage and thereby keep a sharp mind.—Quit smoking—Consume less saturated fat—Control high blood pressure (newer prescription medications are one effective way to do so)—Don't let diabetes go untreated—Aspirin has been shown to prevent heart disease—Taking supplements of omega-3 fatty acids can help
Not surprisingly, diet and exercise are the twin pillars of any plan to get your heart and brain in line. "There is no one-size-fits-all approach, though," says Cook. "For some people, it's cutting out salt. For others, it's getting off the couch to exercise. And that doesn't have to be kick-boxing, they just need to do something."
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brain damage,
brain health,
brain structures,
cognitive tests,
heart disease,
hearts and minds,
high cholesterol levels,
hypertension,
stroke,
ucla neuropsychiatric institute,
vascular depression,
white matter
