US EditionEarly signs of heart problems linked to smaller brain volumes: American Academy of Neurology
- On March 26, researchers reported in the journal *Neurology* that people with early signs of heart problems are more likely to have brain changes associated with dementia.
- The study, a meta-analysis of community-based studies titled 'Clinical and Imaging Markers of Cardiac Function and Brain Health,' pooled data from seven studies in Europe and the U.S., involving nearly 11,000 people, to measure heart function and brain volumes using MRI.
- The research indicated that people with moderate to severe systolic dysfunction, where the heart can't contract normally, and those with diastolic dysfunction, where the heart doesn't properly relax, tended to have smaller brain volumes, especially in the hippocampus and white matter, regions crucial for memory and cognitive function.
- Dr. Frank Wolters, a senior scientist with Erasmus University Medical Center in Rotterdam, stated that the study shows even mild heart dysfunction is associated with adverse brain health and that better heart health is associated with larger brain volumes, suggesting preservation of heart function could help maintain brain health.
- While the cross-sectional study design cannot definitively prove causation, the findings suggest that evaluating individuals with heart problems for memory and thinking issues could aid in early detection of cognitive decline, and further studies are needed to understand the specific mechanisms linking heart problems to brain health.
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Early signs of heart problems linked to smaller brain volumes
People who have early signs of heart problems may also have changes in brain health that can be early signs of dementia, such as loss of brain volume, according to a meta-analysis published on March 26, 2025, online in Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The meta-analysis does not prove that early heart problems cause loss of brain cells; it only shows an association.
·Washington, United States
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Heart Problems Linked To Brain Shrinkage
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