20 | HUNTSVILLE LIVING | FERUARY 2024
Manage Heart Health for Stronger Brain Health
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Photos courtesy of Getty Images | Source : American Heart Association
The same risk factors that contribute to making heart disease the leading cause of death worldwide also impact the rising global prevalence of brain disease , including stroke , Alzheimer ’ s disease and dementia .
The global death rate from Alzheimer ’ s disease and other dementias is increasing even more than the rate of heart disease death , according to the American Heart Association ’ s Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics 2022 Update .
Globally , more than 54 million people had Alzheimer ’ s disease and other dementias in 2020 , a 37 % increase since 2010 and 144 % increase over the past 30 years ( 1990-2020 ). Additionally , more than 1.89 million deaths were attributed to Alzheimer ’ s disease and other dementias worldwide in 2020 , compared to nearly 9 million deaths from heart disease .
“ The global rate of brain disease is quickly outpacing heart disease ,” said Mitchell S . V . Elkind , M . D . M . S ., FAHA , the past president of the American Heart Association ( 2020-21 ), a professor of neurology and epidemiology at Columbia University ’ s Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons and attending neurologist at New York-Presbyterian / Columbia University Irving Medical Center . “ We are learning more about how some types of dementia are related to aging , and how some types are due to poor vascular health . It ’ s becoming more evident that reducing vascular disease risk factors can make a real difference in helping people live longer , healthier lives , free of heart disease and brain disease .”
According to the statistics update , people with midlife hypertension were five times more likely to experience impairment on global cognition and about twice as likely to experience reduced executive function , dementia and Alzheimer ’ s disease . The risk for dementia associated with heart failure was nearly two-fold .
Experts recommend maintaining a healthy weight , managing your blood pressure and following other heart-healthy lifestyle behaviors that can also support good brain health while studies show maintaining good vascular health is associated with healthy aging and retained cognitive function .
Optimal brain health includes the ability to perform tasks like movement , perception , learning and memory , communication , problem solving , judgment , decision making and emotion . Cognitive decline and dementia are often seen following stroke or cerebrovascular disease and indicate a decline in brain health .
20 | HUNTSVILLE LIVING | FERUARY 2024