News: Three common CVDs linked to brain health, AHA says

The American Heart Association (AHA) has released a statement tying three common cardiovascular diseases (CVD) to cognitive decline, MedPage Today reported.

According to the statement, the evidence gathered confirms that “the trajectories of cardiac health and brain health are inextricably intertwined through modifiable and nonmodifiable factors.”

With respect to modifiable factors, the authors stress that addressing cardiovascular health early on in life “may deter the onset or progression of cognitive impairment later on.”

The evidence cited by the AHA suggests that the brain and the heart possess “shared mechanisms”—e.g., biomarkers—rendering the relationship between the two as functionally interdependent. For instance, the presence of vascular risk factors like hypertension or diabetes “can change how the brain processes and clears up amyloid,” a key biomarker linked to Alzheimer’s disease.

Furthermore, according to MedPage Today, the statement suggests certain “shared genetic predispositions” linking heart and brain disorders.

“We noticed that some genetic signatures that have historically been associated with heart disease seem to also correlate with structural changes in the brain. That means that at the end of the day, some patients may be born with a genetic predisposition to developing both conditions,” said Fernando D. Testai, MD, PhD, professor of neurology and vascular neurology at the University of Illinois, Chicago, and lead author of the study.

Editor’s note: To read the MedPage Today coverage, click here. To read the AHA statement, click here.