Researchers at the University of Miami’s Miller School of Medicine claimed that healthy heart leads to healthy brain. The research team conducted a study which showed that on achieving goals of keeping heart healthy, one automatically lands on speeding thinking, reducing memory decline and improving thinking skills in course of six years.

The study results were published in the March 16 issue of the Journal of the American Heart Association. It involved more than 1,000 individuals with 72 years as average age. Around two- third were Hispanics, while 19% were Black and 16% were White.

They were given seven goals to achieve by Life’s Simple Seven, a template for heart-healthy living created by the American Heart Association.

The seven goals were to manage blood pressure, control cholesterol levels, reduce blood sugar levels, to remain active, do at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity or 75 minutes of vigorous physical activity each week, eat healthy, limit intake of salt; sugar; saturated fat and trans fat, lose weight and not to smoke.

It was discovered that no individual was able to achieve all goals. There were only 1% of them who met six goals, while 4% met five goals. The proportion of people achieving goals increases as number of goal achieved fell. Similarly, four and three goals were achieved by 14 and 30% of the participants. Highest percentage, 33% of the volunteers achieved only two goals, whereas one goal was achieved by 15% of them. The people who met no goals were 3% among the study group.

The results were concluded through tests, the volunteers were tested for memory, thinking and brain-processing speed before the experiment began and after six years of experiment. The experiment test was conducted on only 722 participants after six years. The tests were done to measure any changes in cognitive skills.

Researchers concluded that participants who met more heart-healthy goals had better brain-processing speed at the start of the study. And a participant who met more heart-healthy goals had less deterioration in brain processing speed, memory and executive function.

“The results of our study highlight the need for patients and physicians to monitor and address heart health factors and strive for ideal levels, as these factors not only influence cardiovascular health but also brain health”, said lead researcher Hannah Gardener, an assistant scientist in neurology at the University of Miami’s Miller School of Medicine.