Science
Having a healthier heart is associated with better problem-solving and reaction time
People with healthier heart structure and function appear to have better cognitive abilities, including increased capacity to solve logic problems and faster reaction times, according to research we part-funded.
The brain has previously been proposed as a target for damage from heart disease, and the risk factors leading to heart disease have also been associated with vascular dementia and Alzheimer’s. However, the underlying mechanisms for why these associations occur are not well understood, and studies had not been carried out in large groups of people or those without disease.
Large UK study
The study, published in the European Heart Journal Cardiovascular Imaging, examined links between heart health and cognitive function in over 32,000 UK Biobank participants. Researchers at Queen Mary University of London and University of Oxford analysed the structure and function of the heart using MRI scans. Cognitive function was assessed using tests of fluid intelligence (the capacity to solve logic-based problems) and reaction time.
The results show that, in this large group of mostly healthy individuals, those with healthier heart structure and function performed significantly better in tests of cognitive ability.
To investigate underlying reasons for the observed relationships, the team also considered whether the links between heart and brain health may be related to shared risk factors for vascular disease, such as diabetes, smoking, high blood pressure and obesity.
They found that although these factors were important in determining both heart and brain health, they did not provide a complete explanation for the observed associations. This suggests that alternative biological changes may be important in mediating interactions across the heart and brain.
Power of big data
Professor Jeremy Pearson, our Associate Medical Director, said:
“These findings continue to reveal the power of big data. By digging into detailed health data, our researchers have detected new relationships between the heart and the brain.
“Although the differences are small, the link between having healthier heart function and healthier brain function is clear and emphasises that looking after your heart is likely to help your brain too.”
The researchers caution that, as this was an observational study, it is not possible to make any definitive inferences about causality and it cannot be stated that heart disease causes impaired cognition, or vice versa.