Heart health linked to dementia risk

Q: Can you explain how heart health might be related to dementia? I have angina, and now I’m worried about a heart attack and Alzheimer’s.

Dijohn K., Jacksonville, Florida

A: A primary reason that heart health is related to cognition problems and dementia is that when your blood vessels become clogged or narrowed because of elevated levels of lousy LDL cholesterol (now often measured as apolipoprotein B) or triglycerides and plaque on the vessel’s lining, your brain may not receive enough blood to carry the oxygen and nutrients it needs for optimal function. Other kinds of cardiovascular disease can also restrict blood flow to the brain. A new study in JAMA found that if the left atrium of your heart isn’t functioning properly (bringing in and moving along oxygenated blood), that increases the risk of dementia. Luckily, blocked arteries can be opened with a stent or bypass surgery, and valve problems are more readily repaired these days.

Atrial fibrillation, or an irregular heartbeat, is also associated with dementia, but a new study in the Journal of the American Heart Association found that if patients take what are called direct-acting oral anticoagulants instead of warfarin, they have a 50% lower risk of developing dementia than patients receiving warfarin.

Want to reduce your risk for dementia? Another new study shows that if you have a 15 mg/dL increase in good HDL cholesterol at age 35, your risk for Alzheimer’s goes down by 15%; if you elevate your HDL at age 51 to 60, you reduce your risk by nearly 18%.

The best ways to boost your HDL and prevent cardiovascular and heart disease are:

— Increase your intake of fruits and vegetables to seven servings a day.

— Get saturated fats and red meats off your plate.

— Enjoy aerobic and strength-building exercise regularly.

— Practice stress management techniques.

— Ask your doc about your hormone levels and if replacement is indicated for you.

— Achieve a healthy weight.

— Don’t smoke anything.