Study Shows Brain and Heart Health are Linked


It’s important to make your health a priority, especially as you age. Being older makes you more susceptible to illnesses that could require senior care services. Staying strong mentally and physically and eating a well-balanced diet are crucial. 

A new study published in the journal Neurology found that older people who have hardening arteries are more likely to have beta-amyloid plaques in their brains. This means that the health of the heart may affect brain health.

To determine the results, researchers examined 91 people who didn’t have dementia with an average age of 87. Using scans, they measured plaques in the participant’s brains, and two years later they measured the stiffness of their arteries. Men and women with the stiffest arteries had the most plaques and had a higher likelihood of having white matter lesions on their brains, which can be a sign of a higher risk of dementia and stroke.

“Stiffer arteries cause changes in blood flow in your brain,” lead author Dr. Timothy Hughes told AARP.

These changes cause some parts of the brain to not get enough blood, causing a lack of nutrients like oxygen, while others get blood flow with too much force.

To keep your brain and heart healthy, as well as the rest of your body, it’s important to making taking care of yourself an important part of your daily life. If you do become ill, having elderly home care services is a great way to continue living the life you want.