What’s good for the heart is good for the brain
Educate your patients about the role of cardiovascular health strategies in reducing dementia.
There’s a powerful connection between heart health and brain health. That fact could give cardiologists a compelling message in motivating patients.
Successfully preserving brain function and reducing the risk of dementia is dependent on managing all aspects of heart health, including hypertension, diabetes, obesity, poor diet and other lifestyle factors, said Ronald Lazar, PhD, FAHA, FAAN.
“More people are worried about dementia than a heart attack,” said Lazar, a professor of neurology and neurobiology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Heersink School of Medicine. “We want to remind cardiologists to communicate with their patients that what they do in terms of lifestyle modifications and risk factor management benefits the brain as well. That may create a better impetus for their patients to engage in these things because they know that there’s a lot at stake.”
Lazar is a speaker at the Saturday session “The Brain Checkup: Measuring, Protecting and Preserving Your Cognitive Future.” In his presentation, “Measuring Brain Health: Scores, Signals and Clinical Meaning,” Lazar will encourage cardiology colleagues to sharpen their diagnostic and communication skills to effectively measure those “target behaviors” that directly influence their patients’ brain health.
His presentation will address three pillars of brain health that cardiologists should keep at the forefront:
Measuring current cognitive and functional status
Assessing the risk of future decline
Identifying actions that can help preserve cognitive function over time
Lazar urges colleagues to concentrate on interventions already within their practices, such as lowering blood pressure, managing cholesterol and blood glucose levels, and promoting healthy lifestyle habits.
“It's not so much that we want cardiologists to measure what the brain is doing; it's to measure the things that are beneficial for the brain. We're not asking them to put a thermometer into the brain, if you will,” he said.
“What we want them to do is get people to engage in the things we know are protective for the brain — things they should be doing anyway. We need to emphasize to patients that engaging in these healthy behaviors benefits the heart and the brain at the same time.”
Lazar will also address the growing market of supplements, infusions and cognitive enhancement products, noting that there is limited scientific evidence that such interventions improve brain function in otherwise healthy people without specific deficiencies or medical conditions. Lifestyle management remains the most reliable strategy for long-term brain health, he said.
Although digital health applications can provide reminders and educational support, Lazar said many people stop using health apps within six months. For now, he said, engagement between healthcare professionals and patients continues to play a vital role in encouraging lasting health behavior changes.
Ultimately, the first step is education, he said: Take the time to ask your patients whether they know that risk factors for cardiovascular disease are also risk factors for brain health.
“When I give talks in community settings and I ask people if they knew about the link, they usually respond, ‘I didn't realize that,’” Lazar said.
