How a Healthy Heart Can Prevent Dementia

Taking good care of your heart throughout your life can help prevent many different health conditions that start to develop as we age, such as dementia. The health of the brain and heart are more connected than you may realize.

Studies have found that good heart health in middle age can reduce the risk of developing dementia later in life.

We’ll take a look at how good cardiovascular health can decrease the risk of getting dementia and what you can do to improve your heart health.

How Does Good Heart Health Help Protect You from Dementia?

You may be wondering how the health of your heart relates to your risk of developing brain conditions such as dementia. It all boils down to the arteries. When your arteries are unhealthy, it can lead to heart disease and cognitive decline. Take care of your arteries and you’re also taking care of your brain.

If you are not familiar with what dementia is or what happens when you have it, dementia is a brain condition that mainly revolves around severe cognitive decline. Those that suffer from dementia can have extreme memory loss, difficulty learning, an ability to problem-solve, be unable to make decisions, and struggle with focusing their attention.

Dementia has become an increasingly prominent problem for older adults. In 2020, it was estimated that approximately 5 million adults over age 65 in the U.S. have dementia. That number is predicted to rise to 14 million by the year 2050. Unfortunately, there is no known cure or effective treatment. However, researchers believe that up to 35 percent of dementia cases can be attributed to lifestyle factors. Preventive measures as early in life as possible are essential to protect your overall health and quality of life in your later years.

What are the Risk Factors for Dementia?

Summer variety of things that can increase your risk for getting dementia. Some of them involve lifestyle choices while others are not quite within your control. We’ll go over both types and later we’ll help you develop a heart health plan to decrease your risk of dementia.

Some of the risk factors for dementia are:

Genetics
Obesity
Diabetes
High blood pressure
High cholesterol
Smoking
Heart disease

Besides genetics, you can probably see a relationship between all of the risk factors for dementia. Something that has a negative impact on one area of your body can lead to issues with another area and so on. It’s like a domino effect so it makes sense that any of the above conditions can lead to another.

Genetics is one of the trickiest areas of risk because you cannot control your family history of health conditions. However, being aware of a family history of health issues such as dementia can empower you to make better choices in your life to improve your health and decrease your risk. Don’t consider it to be a 100% guarantee but rather a warning sign.

Obesity can lead to so many health issues since excess weight puts additional pressure on your cardiovascular system. A group of participants over age 50 from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA) had their BMI and waist circumference measured and studied to find a correlation with dementia risk. The study followed up with the same group of participants eleven years later and found that those who had a BMI that indicated they were overweight or obese had a higher risk of developing dementia. Those that had a waist circumference that was in the obese range were also more likely to get dementia, especially women.

Type 2 Diabetes has started to show up more and more in studies as a contributor to cognitive decline and dementia. Researchers are finding that insulin plays a large role in memory and learning, and diabetes can interfere with that function.

Dementia Prevention Plan for Your Heart Health

If you have a family history of dementia, you’ll want to stack the odds in your favor to avoid this brain condition later in life by taking good care of your heart health. The American Heart Association has created a heart health check-in tool called Life’s Simple 7. The heart health plan below is based on the recommendations given by the AHA.

For optimal heart health and protection from dementia, adopt the following lifestyle changes:

Manage your cholesterol levels. For the sake of your heart, your total cholesterol should be under 200 mg/dl. If your cholesterol is high, take action to get it under control.
Manage your blood pressure. For protection from dementia, your blood pressure should be below 120/80. If you have high blood pressure, it’s important to do what it takes to get it down.
Manage your blood sugar. It’s recommended that you have a fasting plasma glucose level below 100 mg/dl. If you are pre-diabetic or have type 2 diabetes, it is essential that you get your condition under control to protect your health.
Exercise regularly. For protection from dementia, it is recommended that you engage in physical activity that raises your heart rate at least twice a week.
Maintain a healthy weight. Ideally, your BMI should be under 25 for optimal heart health.
Quit smoking. Those who have never smoked or who have refrained from smoking for over one year are at a lower risk of developing dementia.
Eat a heart-healthy diet. Cut back on foods high in saturated fat, sodium, sugar, and refined carbohydrates. Focus on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein.

If you follow the recommendations above and you’re able to achieve each goal for optimal heart health in midlife (approximately age 50), you may have up to a 58 percent lower risk of developing dementia later in life than those who do not meet each of the goals.

Summary

Now you know how being diligent about caring for your heart health can be beneficial for your physical and mental wellbeing. You also know how poor cardiovascular health can put you at a much higher risk for dementia.

While a healthy diet and lifestyle are extremely helpful for a strong cardiovascular system, it’s important to seek out professional care if you have a history of heart disease or experience any symptoms related to heart disease. If you’re experiencing symptoms of poor cardiovascular health that don’t respond to diet and lifestyle changes, contact us today to book an appointment.