Brain Health & Dementia Prevention: The Vascular Connection
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Defining and Setting National Goals for Cardiovascular Health Promotion and Disease Reduction: The American Heart Association’s Strategic Impact Goal Through 2020 and Beyond by Donald M. Lloyd and Goals and Metrics Committee of the Strategic Planning Task Force of the American Heart Association Circulation. 2010; 121:586-613 Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a disease of the heart and blood vessels that commonly occurs in the mid- to late-life stages. The best way to prevent CVD is by actively improving our physical health through the consumption of healthy diets, daily exercise, smoke-free habits and maintaining a healthy body weight. To this end, the American Heart Association has introduced the concept of Cardiovascular Health. They have defined Cardiovascular Health according to the attainment of ideal status in seven health factors and behaviors known to have the biggest positive impact on our heart and blood vessels. These are blood pressure, blood cholesterol, blood glucose, body mass index, smoking, physical activity and diet. Individuals achieving ideal status in all seven components are much less likely to suffer from CVD, as compared to individuals achieving ideal status in none of the seven components. https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.109.192703 |
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Defining optimal brain health in adults: a presidential advisory from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association by Philip B. Gorelick and others on behalf of the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. Stroke. 2017;48:e284-e303 In addition to a healthy heart, a healthy brain is key to promoting life and longevity. Our brain is the body’s command centre and facilitates our thought process, memories, emotions and even our physical movement. Poor brain health can lead to stroke and cognitive impairment, which are precursors to poor outcomes like dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Preventing such outcomes early in the life course can not only improve life expectancy, but also translates to independent living during those later stages of life. Our brain is a complex system and there are many ways to improve brain health. Some health factors and behaviors that have been linked to better brain health include consuming a healthy diet, daily exercise, smoke-free habits and maintaining a healthy body weight. Additionally, maintaining healthy social relationships and supports can provide a positive environment for brain functioning Interestingly, these are the same factors that promote ideal cardiovascular health (CVH). To this end, the American Heart Association has extended its definition for CVH to also include brain health (BH). In addition to assessing our mental capacity with memory tests and brain imaging, we can examine our blood pressure, smoking habits, and diet to assess whether we are leading health lives and promoting ideal BH. https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/STR.0000000000000148 |
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Brain Health—Curbing Stroke, Heart Disease, and Dementia: The 2020 Wartenberg Lecture by Vladimir Hachinski Neurology 2021;97:273-279 There is no health without “Brain Health”. On this issue there is no disagreement. However, modern scientific approaches to the treatment of dementia have focused on a “magic bullet” approach: one drug or treatment as a cure-all. This approach has consistently failed, and the reasons are likely linked to the fact that dementia is a multi-factor syndrome, and not simply a disease. There is strong evidence that the majority of dementia’s are caused, in part, by vascular diseases. As such, stroke, heart disease and dementia form the triple threat. Each is linked to the other, such that dementia can lead to stroke, heart disease can lead to dementia and stroke can lead to heart disease. Fortunately, there is strong evidence that existing treatments and lifestyle changes can be applied in such a way that the risk of the triple threat is significantly reduced. Healthy living choices, as outlined by the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada and the American Heart association, not only reduce heart disease and stroke, but because of the linkage to dementia, improve Brain Health as a result. |
