Whole body wellness: The vital connection between your heart and brain health

Your heart and brain may be separate organs, but they're remarkably interconnected. Understanding this vital relationship can help protect both your cardiovascular and cognitive health as you age.

Here’s what you need to know about heart and brain health.

How are heart health and brain health related?

Most people don’t necessarily think of the heart when they think of cognitive changes—how you think, learn and remember things—but the two are more related than you might think.

"The heart is a pump that delivers oxygen-rich blood to your brain, which your brain is 100% dependent on for its critical functions," said Jeffrey Tramonte, MD, neurologist on the medical staff at Baylor Scott & White – Round Rock. "A healthy heart generally equates to a healthy brain. A sick heart can, of course, lead to a sick brain."

This relationship is automatic and continuous—your heart pumps blood to your brain 24/7, whether you're awake or asleep. While you may not think about this process each day, its importance becomes clear when things go wrong.

Brain health is intimately tied to blood vessel health. According to research, the brain receives approximately 15-20% of the body's blood supply, despite making up only about 2% of body weight. This underscores how vital cardiovascular health is for brain function.

But the relationship between brain health and heart health goes far beyond simple blood flow. When neurologists evaluate people for memory loss or mobility problems, brain scans often reveal vascular changes that suggest heart-related issues.

"The most common scenario where I see the interconnection between heart and brain health is in someone who's coming in for an evaluation of memory loss, cognitive decline, or problems with balance and mobility,” Dr. Tramonte said. “When we order an MRI scan of their brain, we can physically see stroke-related or vascular-related changes in different places in the brain, which implies that the heart could be the source of these changes."

How heart problems impact the brain

The influence of poor heart health on brain function manifests in both immediate and long-term ways. Let’s take a look.

Immediate effects: Stroke risk

The most sudden and severe way heart health can affect the brain is through a stroke. Most strokes are caused by a blockage of cholesterol plaque in an artery inside the brain, where a part of the brain is no longer getting the oxygen to the blood supply that it needs.

“It goes offline,” Dr. Tramonte said.

When this happens, it creates neurologic symptoms, depending on what part of the brain is affected.

Medical professionals, like Dr. Tramonte, use the BEFAST acronym to help people identify stroke symptoms:

• Balance: Sudden loss of balance or coordination
• Eyes: Sudden blurred, double or total loss of vision in one or both eyes
• Face: One side of the face may droop or become numb
• Arm: One arm may have weakness or numbness, or drift downward when both arms are raised
• Speech: Slurred or garbled speech or the inability to talk
• Time to call 911: Call 911 and get help immediately

Long-term effects: Cognitive decline

Unlike stroke, cognitive decline often develops gradually over years and is much harder to detect. Think of your brain as a computer. As it gets older, it gets slower and takes longer to process information.

The more windows you have open on the computer—or the more ideas or things or tasks that you have to do in a single sitting—can bog down your brain, and, like a computer, cause it to freeze up.

If you’ve always been someone who can craft things with your hands, you may now find yourself confused and having a hard time following even the simple instruction manuals that come with a piece of furniture. All these things might be signs of cognitive decline.

But it’s impossible to know whether these declines are related to the heart unless you see your doctor and have an evaluation done. Clues to a physician that your heart could be the source of the cognitive decline are usually seen on an MRI or CT scan. Brain scans can highlight whether your heart is a source of those vascular changes in your brain.

These vascular changes may already be taking a physical toll on your body, causing cognitive or mobility issues. Some signs that you should see your doctor include:

• Difficulty with previously simple tasks
• Challenges following instructions
• Memory issues, like forgetting where you parked
• Reduced ability to multitask
• Problems with coordination and mobility

Prevention: Protecting both heart and brain

There’s good news, though. You can improve your brain health and help prevent cognitive issues as you age by taking care of your heart.

Several factors that improve heart health also improve brain health. One of the things that Dr. Tramonte recommends is maintaining control over your blood pressure. Exercise, diet and lifestyle changes all contribute to both heart and brain health.

Here are some practical ways to take charge of your heart and brain health.

Exercise for the heart and brain

A healthy heart does a more efficient job of pumping blood to the body than a sick heart, so taking good care of your heart will in turn take good care of your brain. Exercise is key to improving cardiovascular efficiency because it:

• Reduces stress
• Helps with pain management
• Enhances sleep quality
• Increases metabolism

"Looking at the connection between exercise, heart health and brain function, we see evidence of how physical activity creates a positive ripple effect throughout the entire body," said Molly Szerlip, MD, interventional cardiologist on the medical staff at Baylor University Medical Center – Plano. "Regular exercise strengthens the heart muscle, improves blood vessel flexibility and enhances blood flow to vital organs, especially the brain.”

For beginners to exercise, or for those who haven’t exercised for a while, start small.

"Every little bit helps,” Dr. Tramonte said. “Start by just getting up and moving frequently. Take a short walk around the block. The more often you do it, the easier it becomes, and then you can go a little longer.”

Healthy diet for heart and brain health

A heart-healthy diet is a brain-healthy diet. While everyone is different and you should talk to your doctor about your individual needs, here are a few tips for a heart-healthy diet:

• Incorporate lots of colorful vegetables and fruits to increase your fiber intake. Aim to fill half your plate with these.
• Increase your intake of Omega-3 fatty acids in foods like walnuts, eggs and fatty fish.
• Opt for lean cuts of meat and avoid processed meats.
• Lower your salt intake.

Lifestyle choices for the heart and brain

"As the saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure," Dr. Tramonte said.

When it comes to both heart health and brain health, lifestyle does matter. If you don’t already follow these healthy habits, now is a good time to start:

• Avoid smoking and vaping.
• Practice moderation with alcohol.
• Manage stress effectively through exercise, meditation and breathing exercises

Developing healthy cardiovascular habits in your 20s, 30s or 40s can significantly reduce the risk of heart and brain issues later in life. It's much easier to prevent problems than to reverse them after they develop.

"What many people don't realize is that cardiovascular health is a lifelong journey that begins decades before any symptoms appear. We see clearly that people who established healthy cardiovascular habits early in life typically show significantly better outcomes and fewer complications in their later years," Dr. Szerlip said.

Signs of heart-related brain issues

If you experience any concerning symptoms, don't try to self-diagnose. Consult your primary care provider, who can evaluate your symptoms and refer you to appropriate specialists if needed.

Regular check-ups and open communication with your healthcare team are essential for maintaining both heart and brain health.

Pay attention to these potential indicators of heart-related brain issues:

• Chest pain or discomfort, especially during exercise
• Shortness of breath
• Decreased exercise capacity
• Irregular heart rhythms
• Cognitive changes or mental fog
• Balance or mobility problems

Invest in your future health

The connection between heart and brain health becomes increasingly important as you age. By understanding this relationship and taking proactive steps to maintain cardiovascular health, you're also protecting your cognitive function for the future.

Talk with your primary care physician about your specific risk factors and the best prevention strategy for your needs. Remember, the steps you take today to protect your heart are also investments in your brain's long-term health.

Don’t have a primary care provider? Find a doctor near you today.