07/27/2018
❤❤HEART HEALTH AND ALZHEIMERS.
The Vanderbilt researchers measured what’s called global longitudinal strain – GLS – which indicates a particular type of contraction of the heart muscle. Even when heart function looks fine on less sensitive tests, they found that GLS changes coincided with the beginning of memory issues.
Although the brain seems to have effective ways to keep blood flowing through its vessels even when the heart muscle struggles, the studies show that when the GLS slips, the brain suffers.
The researchers suggested several possible reasons:1
Less blood means that brain cells can’t form as many of the proteins necessary to create the extra neuron connections (synapses) necessary for learning and memory.
The reduced blood flow causes problems with the blood-brain barrier, allowing toxins to move from the blood into brain cells, damaging and killing off neurons.
The toxins coming into brain cells are particularly destructive to the hippocampus, the part of the temporal lobes that acts as the brain’s memory and language center.
Good news: We can make use of these findings about the heart muscle and the brain.
If your brain health depends on your heart health, then this opens up an obvious avenue for lowering your risk of Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia. It means that incorporating heart-healthy lifestyle practices into your daily routine pays off in a better, stronger brain.
As Angela Jefferson, the director of the Vanderbilt Memory & Alzheimer's Center, puts it, "A very encouraging aspect of our findings is that heart health is a modifiable risk. You may not be able to change your genetics or family history, but you can engage in a heart healthy lifestyle through diet and exercise at any point in your lifetime."
So, yes, you may get tired of hearing about keeping your cardiovascular system healthy – the advice to get more exercise such as daily walks, and tips on eating more fruits and vegetables. But it’s advice we all should take to heart, because you’ll never get tired of waking up every morning with a crystal clear memory.
