Heart Health In Your 40s & 50s May Impact Dementia Risk Years Later

Think of your heart as a silent engine—pumping oxygen and nutrients throughout your entire body every second of every day to keep you alive and well. 

Taking care of your heart should be at the top of your priority list, especially for people in their 40s and 50s. Markers of heart health (like high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and plaque buildup) and disease risk are closely linked to advancing age1. And as heart health is intricately tied to the function of everything in the body—including cognition—indicators of heart health are also known risk factors for dementia2. 

Here's how your midlife heart-health status can impact your risk for dementia years down the road. 

The brain depends on a steady supply of oxygen-rich blood to function optimally. The heart generates something called cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP), which is the energy specifically needed to pump blood into brain tissue. The blood is then delivered to the brain through tiny blood vessels. 

Though the entire brain is sensitive to changes in blood flow, white matter (the brain tissue found in the deeper parts of the brain that contains nerve fibers) is especially vulnerable to this lack of blood supply4 compared to gray matter (brain tissue found on the surface of the brain).

The small blood vessels connecting to white brain matter are actually damaged when blood flow is low, and those blood vessel changes are what's linked to: 

Unfortunately, common health concerns like high blood pressure, atherosclerosis, and diabetes can negatively impact the heart's ability to effectively pump blood to the brain and other parts of the body. 

For example, in a 2022 study, researchers followed 30,102 adults for 24 years and found that people who had high blood pressure in midlife had a 22% greater chance of developing dementia5 than people who had healthy blood pressure levels in midlife. 

Poor heart health and reduced blood flow to the brain are linked to brain inflammation, which can activate inflammatory genes.

In addition, the widespread chronic inflammation caused by heart disease also reaches the brain. 

This inflammatory response can lead to cognitive dysfunction and an increased risk of dementia6 through:

These changes can damage the brain and increase the risk of cognitive diseases like dementia. 

While aspects like your genetics, race, and sex play a big role, a healthy diet and lifestyle can significantly reduce your risk of developing both heart disease and dementia later in life. 

Researchers of a 2023 study that included data on over 114,000 people found that people who more closely followed healthy diets—including plant-based diets and Mediterranean-style diets—during midlife had a lower risk of developing dementia later in life7. The study also found that these healthy eating patterns were significantly associated with larger brain volumes, which is encouraging because loss of brain volume is associated with cognitive decline8. 

Both those diets are low in added sugars, which seem to be particularly harmful to brain health. Researchers of a 2021 study that analyzed data from almost 3,000 people found that those who most regularly consumed sugary drinks were nearly three times as likely to develop dementia—including Alzheimer's disease—as people who avoided those beverages. 

These same recommendations (following a plant-based, Mediterranean diet, low in added sugars) are also tied to improved overall heart health9 and a lower risk of heart disease10. 

In addition to what you eat, exercising, avoiding and quitting smoking, managing your weight, and taking heart-healthy supplements can help protect your heart and brain, too. 

Certain supplements, including omega-3s, CoQ10, and resveratrol, can help support heart health and may reduce your risk of heart disease and cognitive decline.

Omega-3s: The omega-3 fatty acids docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) have potent cardioprotective properties. And most people don't get enough of these nutrients11 through diet alone. Studies show that supplementing with omega-3s, like fish oil, could help lower blood pressure12 and protect against heart disease (here are some of our favorites).

Magnesium: Magnesium is a mineral that's essential for blood sugar and blood pressure regulation, both of which are critical to the health of the brain and heart. A small 2021 study 13of 24 adults with altered blood sugar levels found that 12 weeks of daily magnesium supplementation 13led to a decrease in blood pressure and a significant decrease in long-term blood sugar control. Because most modern-day diets lack magnesium, many people, especially those with high blood pressure or high blood sugar levels, could benefit from taking a daily magnesium supplement. 

CoQ10: CoQ10 is a molecule with powerful antioxidant properties naturally produced by the body. But it's also found in supplements. Supplementation of CoQ10 could help boost your body's natural antioxidant defenses to protect your heart health. A 2022 review of 26 studies found that supplements providing 100 to 200 mg of CoQ10 per day significantly reduced blood pressure levels14. Findings from another recent review also suggest that CoQ10 supplements are effective for reducing levels of LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels, which is a good sign for heart health and blood flow. 

Here's a full list of the best supplements to support cognitive function and memory. 

The health of your heart and your brain are closely connected. Heart disease and conditions like high blood pressure and atherosclerosis can reduce blood flow to the brain and trigger inflammation, which can increase the risk of dementia.

To reduce your risk of dementia, it's critical to take care of your heart by following a healthy diet, getting plenty of exercise, avoiding smoking, and supplementing with cardioprotective nutrients like omega-3s.