Cardiac Contributions to Brain Health
Published: October 10, 2024
- The burden of neurologic diseases, including stroke and dementia is expected to grow substantially in future decades making optimal brain health a major public health priority but will also be a major challenge.
- Recent evidence shows that the heart and the brain, once considered unrelated organ systems, are interdependent and linked through shared risk factors.
- This AHA scientific statement discusses the pathogenic mechanisms that link three prevalent cardiac diseases of adults; heart failure, atrial fibrillation, and coronary heart disease, three disorders that can lead to cognitive impairment and poor brain health.
Supporting Materials
- Commentary: Brain and Heart Health: At a Crossroads by Eric E. Smith, MD, MPH
- Top Things to Know: Impact of Sleep Disorders and Disturbed Sleep on Brain Health
Recommended Reading
- 2023 Guideline for the Diagnosis and Management of Atrial Fibrillation
- 2023 Guideline for the Management of Patients with Chronic Coronary Disease
- 2022 Guideline for the Management of Heart Failure
- Cognitive Impairment After Ischemic and Hemorrhagic Stroke
- The Neurovasculome: Key Roles in Brain Health and Cognitive Impairment
- Aggressive LDL-C Lowering and the Brain: Impact on Risk for Dementia and Hemorrhagic Stroke
- Vascular contributions to cognitive impairment and dementia