The fact that our heart is connected with our mind is undeniable, and a healthy heart boosts the normal functioning of the brain. In this case, it is clear that your health lies in the blood vessels; thus, anything that poses a threat to the vessels, including smoking, diabetes, and high blood pressure, not only exposes you to heart disease but also dementia. This claim has been supported by a study done in 2017.
The study, which followed thousands of adults for a quarter of a century, concluded that smokers, diabetics, or people living with hi
gh blood pressure have higher chances of developing dementia, than people living without any of these risk factors. While the risk for smokers rose by 41% during the study, people living with diabetes had a 77% risk increase for dementia.
According to the study, healthy eating and proper control of blood pressure protects the brain from abnormalities, such as plaque accumulation and neuron damage, which are known to cause dementia. Although the study does not directly prove that keeping your heart healthy prevents dementia, it is clear that these factors, which affect the normal blood flow in the brain, may lead to dementia.
