5/25/24, 3:35 AM The Brain-Heart Connection: Understanding How the Brain Influences Heart Function - Neurolutions

The Impact of Heart Disease on the Brain

Heart disease can negatively impact brain health with the diminishing of
blood flow to the brain. The heart pumps the blood through the circulatory
system (inclusive of arteries, veins and capillaries), and a “weak” heart
might be unable to pump enough blood to the brain to prevent brain cell
and nerve cell damage.

Atherosclerosis, a disorder in which sticky plaques form on the artery

walls, is recognized as a major cause of strokes (11). This is because
arterial plaques can travel to the brain and form clots, causing damage by
preventing arterial blood from reaching (oxygenating) the brain. And, as
discussed, damage to the brain can then lead to the development of heart
disease.

Neurocardiology in the Field of Medicine:

Neurocardiology is the medical field focused on the interrelationship of
neurological conditions with cardiovascular and cardiology disorders.
Neurocardiology is still considered an emerging field, and it involves the
collaboration of (12):

Cardiologists
Neurologists
Stroke care physicians

As a new medical practice and research field, neurocardiology

encompasses the following three categories (13):

The effect of the heart on the brain

The effect of the brain on the heart
Neurocardiac syndromes (such as post-stroke heartbeat irregularities)

Monitoring and Managing Brain-Heart Health

Stroke and TBI survivors need to be aware of their increased risk for heart
disease. This heightens the need for embracing a healthy lifestyle,
including:

Eating a healthy daily diet that is low in saturated fats

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Getting enough daily sleep each night

Engaging in regular daily exercise
Performing a daily mindfulness practice such as meditation to lower
overall anxiety level

A smoking cessation “plan of action” is extremely important for a stroke or

TBI survivor as well, as smoking is strongly linked to an increased risk for
both stroke and heart disease (14).

Advances in Brain-Heart Research

An increasing number of medical research studies over the past decade
have been focused on the brain-heart connection.

For example, stress cardiomyopathy, an acute heart failure syndrome

triggered by intense physiological or psychological stress, was found to
promote the over-release of the hormone neurotransmitter catecholamine
through the activation of the SNS (15). Recent research has also shown
that heart arrhythmias can be triggered by physiological and/or emotional
stress, and can cause sudden death in people with otherwise structurally-
normal hearts (16).

These types of medical research findings are useful not only to advance
knowledge regarding the brain-heart connection, but also for
pharmaceutical researchers developing medications to regulate the
balance of hormones and other substance levels needed for optimal
health.

Integrating Brain and Heart Health for Holistic Well-Being

Heart and brain functioning are tightly connected, and damage to one
often negatively impacts the other. For this reason, stroke and TBI
survivors need to be monitored on a regular basis by healthcare providers
for both adverse brain and heart impacts.

Stroke and TBI survivors are at heightened risk for premature dementia
(18) and need to receive an individualized treatment approach that
addresses physical and cognitive impairments and includes ongoing

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5/25/24, 3:35 AM The Brain-Heart Connection: Understanding How the Brain Influences Heart Function - Neurolutions

mental health services. Medication to decrease chronic anxiety and/or

depression levels can be important not just for mental health, but also
because these conditions can negatively impact heart functioning.

How to Maintain both “Brain Health” and “Heart Health”:

Regardless of whether a person has experienced a brain injury or not, the
following are five ways to can maintain or promote both brain health and
heart health:

Eat a healthy daily diet that is low in saturated fats, and avoid
consuming all trans fats
Get enough daily sleep each night, plus go to bed/wake up at the same
time each day
Engage in a daily exercise program that includes both aerobic and
muscle strengthening exercises
Prevent advancing to Type-2 diabetes, or manage Type-2 diabetes if
already diagnosed with it. This endocrine disorder heightens the risk for
both stroke and heart disease
Maintain body weight within normal range, or participate in a weight loss
program if clinically obese

The neuroplasticity of the brain, which is its ability to heal itself through
development of new brain nerve networks, is dependent upon both a
healthy brain and heart. For stroke and TBI survivors, the brain’s
neuroplasticity is engaged when participating in stroke or TBI rehab
activities, such as physical and/or occupational therapy. It is boosted
further when the heart is functioning well. Focusing on“heart health” as
well as “brain health” is the key to maximizing the potential for recovery
from stroke or TBI.

References:
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and Disease 6(2): 19. Webpage: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6616540/

2. Thau L, Reddy V, and Singh P. (Updated 2022). Anatomy, Central Nervous System. In: StatPearls [Internet]. StatPearls Publishing: Treasure

Island, FL. Webpage: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK542179/

3. Cleveland Clinic [Cleveland, OH]. Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS). Webpage: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/23262-sympathetic-

nervous-system-sns-fight-or-flight

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7. Johns Hopkins Medicine [Baltimore, MD]. Brain Anatomy and How the Brain Works. Webpage: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-

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Webpage: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7587873/

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Treasure Island, FL. Webpage: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK539894/

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Webpage: https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/STROKEAHA.121.033970

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anniversary/pdfs/fs_smoking_cvd_508.pdf

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System, and Catecholamine Overload. Cardiology Research and Practice 2020: 4150291. Webpage: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32211202/

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