Heart and Brain Function Related?

A person’s ability to reason and problem solve may be tied to their heart attack risk, according to a new study.

Researchers recruited nearly 4,000 people around 75 years old who had no history of heart attack, stroke or dementia but did have either heart disease or an increased risk of heart disease from high blood pressure, diabetes or smoking. Participants were given tests to evaluate their high-level thinking skills and placed into groups of low, medium or high based on the results. They were then followed for an average of three years. Men and women in the lowest group were 85 percent more likely to have a heart attack compared to those in the highest group. The lowest scores were also associated with a higher risk of stroke. One of the study authors says the results show that heart and brain function are more closely related than appearances would suggest and that cognitive function should be part of the evaluation of future cardiovascular risk.

I’m Dr. Cindy Haines of HealthDay TV with the news doctors are reading – health news that matters to you.