A study from the American Stroke Association recently established an association between heart disease risk factors in middle age and the increased risk of dementia in later years. While this is not surprising considering the many established links between the heart and the brain, this discovery is nonetheless significant for cardiologists, neurologists, and patients alike. By supporting heart health throughout your life, you can reduce your risk of living with dementia.
Understanding Dementia
Dementia is a condition that makes it difficult to accomplish mental tasks like remembering, thinking, and communicating. Older adults with dementia commonly struggle to manage daily tasks, recall recent information, and navigate locations that used to be familiar. Alzheimer’s is the most recognized form of dementia. This progressive disease worsens over time as individuals lose the ability to carry on conversations or respond to their environments.
What’s the Connection to the Heart?
Studies have long identified that problems in the vascular system, which includes the heart and the blood vessels that supply blood to the brain, likely contribute to the development of dementia. A recent study described by the ASA followed nearly 16,000 people over 30 years and uncovered data that points directly to the impact of poor heart health on dementia.
In that study, the risk of dementia was 41 percent higher for midlife smokers than non or former smokers, 39 percent higher for people with high blood pressure in middle age, and a whopping 77 percent higher for those with diabetes in midlife.
This means that diabetes alone can raise the risk of dementia nearly as much as the most important known genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease. If that doesn’t indicate the influence of heart health on overall wellness, what does?
Protect and Support Your Heart
Any actions taken to protect your heart will also protect your brain. This means that you should exercise, adopt a healthy diet, lose weight, quit smoking, minimize stress, and take control of diabetes to increase your odds of a healthier future unencumbered by dementia. These goals are best accomplished with the support of a holistic health doctor like Dr. Henry Sobo at Optimal Health Medical. Call (203) 348-8805 today to schedule your appointment so that Dr. Sobo can help you protect your heart and mind together.