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How heart problems steal gray matter from your brain
You know what happens when you tip over one domino — the whole row falls. And the same thing happens with your health…
When one organ struggles, it sets off a chain reaction that can damage other organs. And nowhere is that more obvious than in the relationship between two vital organs — your heart and your brain.
When your heart isn’t working properly, the rest of your body doesn’t receive enough oxygen… and that includes your brain. And to put it bluntly, oxygen deprivation doesn’t do your brain any favors.
In fact, a new study shows that the amount of blood your heart pumps out directly impacts the amount of oh-so-important grey matter you have in your brain.
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The weaker your heart, the weaker your brain
A new study from researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences in Germany found that the amount of blood that is released by each heartbeat is connected to the strength of your brain’s gray matter.
The study included 80 patients at the Leipzig Heart Center with heart insufficiency (aka heart failure). Researchers tested these patients for two biomarkers of heart failure: the amount of blood that is ejected by each heartbeat and the concentration of a hormone in the blood vessels. They also performed MRIs on their brains. Here’s what they found…
There was a significant positive correlation between the amount of blood ejected by each heartbeat and the brain’s gray matter density across the whole frontal and parietal medial cortex, as well as the precuneus within the cortex and the hippocampus. What does all that mean?
It means people whose hearts pumped out less blood had brains that were in bad shape. More specifically, it means that they were losing parts of their brain tied to attention, memory and other important brain processes. Loss of brain matter in these areas could even put people in danger of developing Alzheimer’s disease, according to researchers.
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Protect yourself from heart (and brain) disease
Now, you may be thinking, I don’t have heart failure… so I’m fine. But just because you haven’t been diagnosed with heart failure doesn’t mean your heart is pumping out blood as effectively as it could be.
There are a wide range of heart conditions that could put your brain at risk:
- Previous cardiac crisis
- Coronary artery disease
- High blood pressure
- Diseases of the cardiac valves
- Cardiomyopathy
- Inflammation of the heart
- Congenital malformation of the heart
Even some non-cardiac issues can lead to an insufficient supply of blood coming from the heart, like pneumonia, alcohol and drug addiction, infections, kidney disease, anemia, and hyperthyroidism. Plus, there are lots of people with undiagnosed heart issues that may be at risk as well.
So, if you want to protect your brain, you best start with your heart. Do things proven to reduce your risk of heart disease:
- Don’t smoke
- Exercise
- Eat healthy
In fact, when it comes to diet, there’s one in particular that can pack a strong punch against heart disease — the Mediterranean diet. A 2017 study found that a low-carb Mediterranean diet can reduce hidden fat deposits around the heart that contribute to heart disease. So, give that a try!
Editor’s note: While you’re doing all the right things to protect your brain as you age, make sure you don’t make the mistake 38 million Americans do every day — by taking a drug that robs them of an essential brain nutrient! Click here to discover the truth about the Cholesterol Super-Brain!
Sources:
- A weak heart also damages the brain — MedicalXpress
- Brain Damage with Heart Failure: Cardiac Biomarker Alterations and Gray Matter Decline — Circulation Research
- Cardiovascular Illness — Cardiovascular Research Foundation
By Jenny Smiechowski
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