The brains of people whose hearts pump less blood age faster than those whose hearts pump more, according to a study conducted by researchers at Boston University (USA) and published in the journal Circulation .
Specifically, using magnetic resonance imaging techniques in 1,500 healthy subjects between the ages of 34 and 84, researchers have found that a lower cardiac index , that is, a lower amount of blood that the heart pumps in relation to the size of the person, is associated with a reduction in brain volume . This, they add, occurs because as the brain ages it begins to atrophy and lose volume. The most severe brain atrophy occurs in brains with dementias, such as Alzheimer's disease.
The exact cause of the relationship between heart function and brain volume is not yet well understood, according to study co-author Angela L. Jefferson, who notes that there are "various theories as to why a reduced heart rate may affect brain health ". For example, "a lower volume of blood pumped from the heart can reduce the blood supply to the brain, giving it less oxygen and nutrients than the neurons need ?. However, Jefferson admits that it is still too early to give advice based on this discovery, which at the moment suggests that the health of the head and the heart go hand in hand . "
