IS POOR CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH LINKED TO DEMENTIA?
Your heart and brain are more connected than you might think. Recent research shows that the health of your blood vessels plays a significant role in protecting your memory and thinking abilities as you age.
THE CARDIOVASCULAR-BRAIN CONNECTION
The brain depends on a steady supply of oxygen-rich blood to function properly. When your cardiovascular system is not healthy, blood vessels become damaged and narrowed. This damage can lead to strokes, tiny brain injuries called microinfarcts, and gradual buildup of harm that affects how well your brain works. Scientists have found that what is good for your heart is also good for your brain.
WHICH CARDIOVASCULAR RISK FACTORS MATTER MOST
Several cardiovascular risk factors have been linked to cognitive decline and dementia. A major study examining over 34,000 people aged 20 to 100 found that higher blood sugar levels, low HDL cholesterol, smoking, and poor sleep were consistently associated with lower cognitive ability across nearly the entire lifespan. Higher body weight was linked to lower cognitive ability during midlife specifically.
High blood pressure stands out as particularly important. Research from Yale School of Medicine found that while having both genetic risk and vascular damage increases dementia risk, the good news is that the vascular component is within your control. Managing blood pressure can reduce dementia risk even for people with higher genetic risk for the disease.
Cholesterol management also matters significantly. Studies using genetic data show that having lifelong lower levels of non-HDL cholesterol directly contributes to a lower likelihood of developing dementia. This suggests that medications already proven safe and effective for heart health could be powerful tools against dementia.
WHEN THESE CONNECTIONS EMERGE
The relationship between cardiovascular health and brain function appears early in life. Research shows that cognitive ability remains stable in young adulthood, shows moderate decline across midlife, and accelerates decline from age 70 onwards. The associations between cardiovascular risk factors and cognitive ability were found across virtually the entire lifespan, suggesting that differences in brain health may be established from the earliest decades of life.
For vascular dementia specifically, age is the biggest risk factor, followed by high blood pressure. Nine in every ten people with vascular dementia are over 65 years old. However, maintaining a healthy lifestyle in your forties and fifties appears particularly important for lowering your dementia risk later.
NEW TREATMENT APPROACHES
Scientists are discovering new ways to address the vascular problems that contribute to dementia. Recent research from the University of Vermont found that dementia may be driven in part by faulty blood flow in the brain. Researchers discovered that losing a key lipid causes blood vessels to become overactive, disrupting circulation and starving brain tissue. When the missing molecule was restored in their research, normal blood flow returned. This discovery opens the door to new treatments aimed at fixing vascular problems in dementia.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
The encouraging news is that many cardiovascular risk factors are preventable and manageable. A healthy lifestyle and managing health conditions like high blood pressure protects your brain health and reduces your risk of vascular dementia, stroke, and other conditions that can lead to cognitive decline. Managing cholesterol levels earlier in life could have long-term benefits for brain health and potentially prevent dementia. Nearly half of U.S. adults live with high blood pressure, which is the leading and most preventable risk factor for heart disease.
The research emphasizes that preventative measures taken for cardiovascular health have profound, lifelong implications for your cognitive abilities and memory in later years.
SOURCES
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12726419/
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251225031247.htm
