Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide, and nearly half of Americans are living with it.1 While heart attacks and strokes are among its most serious and life-threatening outcomes, they aren’t the only ways an unhealthy cardiovascular system affects the body.
Heart and brain health are deeply connected. The same network of blood vessels that keeps the heart functioning also supplies the brain with oxygen and nutrients. When those vessels become unhealthy, their dysfunction can affect memory, cognitive function, and long-term brain health.
February is American Heart Month, an important reminder that caring for your heart is a critical part of healthy aging. In this article, we’ll explore how cardiovascular health shapes cognitive function, the shared risk factors linking heart disease and cognitive decline, and practical lifestyle and nutritional strategies that support both systems in the long term.
How Cardiovascular Disease Impacts Cognitive Decline
Cognitive decline doesn’t happen suddenly. For many people, it develops gradually, with one significant shaping factor being vascular changes that impact how well the brain is nourished, protected, and able to function.
Why Healthy Blood Flow Is Essential for Brain Function
The brain uses 15-20% of the body’s total blood supply, relying on healthy blood vessels and a constant flow of nutrient-rich blood to carry out basic functions.2
When vascular health is compromised by stiffened arteries, narrowed vessels, or small-vessel disease, the brain may not receive what it needs.3 Over time, reduced blood flow can contribute to cumulative brain injury and result in structural changes, such as white matter damage and brain atrophy — both of which are linked to declines in cognitive performance.3
Recent research also shows that vascular dysfunction may accelerate age-related brain changes, even in individuals without a history of stroke or neurological disease.4 This suggests that even before cognitive symptoms become apparent, vascular health plays a role in brain aging.
Cardiovascular Disease as a Risk Factor for Dementia
Cardiovascular disease is consistently linked to cognitive decline and dementia. In fact, individuals with a history of heart disease have a 27% higher risk of developing dementia than those without.5
Additionally, those who experience heart disease earlier in adulthood can carry an even greater long-term cognitive risk, most likely because vascular damage accumulates over decades.4,6 Further studies have supported this connection, linking cardiovascular disease with Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia.7 This stresses the importance of maintaining heart health — for the sake of your heart and your brain.
Vascular Dementia: Where Heart and Brain Intersect
Vascular dementia offers one of the clearest examples of the heart-brain connection. In contrast to primarily neurodegenerative forms of dementia, vascular dementia results from impaired blood flow to the brain. This is often caused by strokes, small vessel disease, or chronic vascular injury, including heart conditions like coronary artery disease (also called coronary heart disease), that limits oxygen and nutrient distribution to brain tissue, giving rise to cognitive decline.4
How Cardiovascular Risk Changes for Women and Why It Matters for Brain Health
Cardiovascular and cognitive risks can shift across a woman’s life, particularly after menopause. Declining estrogen levels are associated with changes in vascular function, lipid metabolism, and blood pressure, which may increase cardiovascular risk during midlife and beyond.8 Women also experience higher rates of dementia overall, affected by a combination of longevity, hormonal causes, and vascular health.9 This further highlights why maintaining a healthy cardiovascular system is significant for long-term brain health.
Shared Risk Factors Linking Heart Disease and Cognitive Decline
Heart disease and cognitive decline don’t develop in isolation. Many of the same biological and lifestyle elements that damage the cardiovascular system also affect how the brain ages. Addressing them early and consistently can support both heart and brain health across the lifespan.
Common Shared Risk Factors:10
- High blood pressure (hypertension)
- High cholesterol and dyslipidemia
- Diabetes and insulin resistance
- Chronic inflammation
- Obesity and metabolic syndrome
- Sedentary lifestyle
- Poor diet quality
- Smoking
- Excess alcohol use
- Genetic risk factors such as APOE4, which can interact with lifestyle and vascular health
These elements contribute to vascular dysfunction, metabolic stress, and inflammation — processes that affect blood flow and vessel integrity throughout the body. Over time, this shared biological burden can weaken both cardiovascular function and the brain’s ability to maintain healthy cognition, showing why prevention strategies commonly overlap for heart and brain health.8,10
Heart-Healthy Lifestyle Habits That Protect Brain Function
Because the brain and heart share risk factors, strategies to prevent decline overlap as well. Even modest lifestyle changes can improve vascular function, calm inflammation, and maintain long-term cognitive health.
How Exercise Supports Both Heart and Brain Health
Frequent exercise is one of the most powerful ways to support both heart and brain health. Regular movement improves blood flow, strengthens the cardiovascular system, and supports oxygen and nutrient supply to the brain. Research regularly links higher levels of physical activity to better cognitive performance and a lower risk of cognitive decline and dementia over time.11,12
How you can start today: Take a quick 10-minute walk, do stretches, or climb some stairs — and remember that consistency is key.
How Sleep and Stress Shape Brain Aging and Vascular Health
Chronic stress and poor sleep place significant strain on both the cardiovascular and nervous systems. Sleep deprivation and prolonged stress are associated with elevated blood pressure, increased inflammation, and weakened cognitive function.13,14 Achieving reparative sleep (between 7-9 hours) and incorporating stress-management practices such as relaxation techniques or routine exercise can help protect heart and brain health.
How you can start today: Try a bedtime routine like dimming the lights, avoiding screens, or meditating at night to help your mind and body wind down.
Smoking, Alcohol, and Cardiovascular Risk to Brain Health
Smoking and high alcohol consumption are well-established risk factors for cardiovascular disease and are also linked to increased cognitive decline. Both can contribute to vascular damage, inflammation, and impaired brain function over time.15 Reducing or eliminating these habits can greatly lower the risk for both heart disease and cognitive impairment.
How you can start today: Work on cutting back gradually. Swap a drink for sparkling water and go for smoke-free days.
Eating for Vascular Health and Cognitive Support
Diet plays a central role in protecting cardiovascular and cognitive function. Certain dietary patterns are consistently associated with better heart health and slower cognitive decline, such as the Mediterranean and DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diets.12,16
The MIND diet combines these proven eating patterns and prioritizes foods that help reduce inflammation, support vascular health, and protect cognitive function. Studies show that greater adherence to the MIND diet corresponds with better cardiovascular and metabolic health, reinforcing its role in long-term heart and brain protection.17
Key components to a heart- and brain-healthy diet:
- Healthy fats, particularly from plant sources
- Foods high in fiber to aid metabolic and vascular health
- Anti-inflammatory food choices, rich in polyphenols
- Reduced intake of highly processed foods and added sugars
How you can start today: Include a handful of berries, nuts, or some avocado during meals. Simple additions can make a significant difference over time.
To learn more about how you can adopt brain and heart protective diets and include more foods rich in nutrients that support these systems, download our FREE 15-page e-guide by clicking below.
The Proof is in Prevention
Periodic health screenings are a critical but often overlooked part of protecting brain health. Monitoring blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and blood sugar can help identify vascular risk early, when interventions are most effective. Managing these markers supports cardiovascular health and may help preserve cognitive function over time.
How you can start today: Check when your last blood pressure, cholesterol, or blood sugar screening was, and schedule your next one if it was over a year ago.
Targeted Nutritional Support for Heart and Brain Health
Good lifestyle habits lay the foundation for healthy cardiovascular and mental function, and targeted nutritional support helps fill the gaps and reinforce these strategies. Here at NeuroReserve, we carry products that offer a comprehensive approach to your health — from supporting vascular and metabolic health to promoting brain resilience.
RELEVATE: Supporting Cardiovascular Function at the Cellular Level
RELEVATE is formulated to promote cardiovascular health through ingredients that target vascular function, circulation, and metabolic pathways linked to heart health. Healthy blood vessels are necessary for cardiovascular performance as well as for transporting oxygen and nutrients to the brain. By supporting vascular integrity and cardiovascular function, RELEVATE helps strengthen the systems that also influence long-term cognitive health.18
Brain Health Kitchen Extra Virgin Olive Oil: A Heart-Healthy Fat with Brain Benefits
Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) is a mainstay of Mediterranean-style eating, which is consistently associated with better cardiovascular outcomes and slower cognitive decline. The BHK EVOO is a high-quality oil that is rich in polyphenols and healthy fats, which are crucial for providing benefits to vascular health and inflammation reduction.
In fact, regular consumption of polyphenol-rich EVOO may support endothelial function and offer neuroprotective benefits as part of an overall heart-healthy dietary pattern.19 Reach for BHK EVOO when you want a practical way to incorporate these powerful benefits into everyday meals.
REVANTA Creatine: Boosting Energy and Cognitive Strength
Creatine is best known for its muscle performance benefits, but the last decade of research has pointed to its role in cellular energy metabolism in high-demand tissues like the brain and heart. The brain has significant energy requirements, and creatine powerfully supports energy availability, which is especially relevant during aging and periods of intense stress.
Additionally, creatine maintains energy metabolism within the heart, where constant contractions depend on rapid ATP regeneration. It helps the heart produce energy more efficiently, supporting overall cardiovascular performance and ensuring oxygen and nutrients reach the brain.20
Supplementing with creatine can boost cognitive performance, reduce mental fatigue, and enhance brain resilience, particularly in individuals with increased energy demands or age-related changes.20 REVANTA Creatine offers a highly bioavailable, research-backed formula that picks up the slack in brain energy metabolism. Take it daily to best complement lifestyle strategies and preserve cognitive and physical function.
American Heart Month Special Offer: Celebrate Heart and Brain Health
Reward your heart-healthy choices this February with a special offer here at NeuroReserve! Receive an exclusive small-batch, hand-poured chocolate treat crafted by esteemed chocolatier Constance Popp when you spend $99 in the NeuroReserve shop. This rich dark chocolate features freeze-dried strawberries, cashew bits, and cocoa nibs — a thoughtful indulgence to enjoy as part of a balanced, heart-conscious lifestyle. Use code: SWEETFEB when you checkout.
Protect Your Heart to Protect Your Brain
The steps you take to maintain cardiovascular health today don’t just lower your risk of heart disease, they help preserve memory, focus, and cognitive resilience for the years to come. Consider starting with these foundational steps:
- Move more, most days of the week
- Eat anti-inflammatory, heart-healthy foods
- Monitor blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar
- Prioritize sleep and manage stress
- Avoid smoking and limit alcohol
- Incorporate brain and heart health supplements
Heart health and brain health are not separate goals, they are part of the same system. This American Heart Month, making small, consistent choices can support both your heart and your mind as you age.
References:
1. American Heart Association News. Cardiovascular diseases affect nearly half of American adults, statistics show. American Heart Association (2019).
2. Cipolla, M. J. The Cerebral Circulation. Colloquium Series on Integrated Systems Physiology: From Molecule to Function 1, 1–59 (2009).
3. Iadecola, C. et al. The Neurovasculome: Key Roles in Brain Health and Cognitive Impairment: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. Stroke 54, (2023).
4. Anderle, S., Dixon, M., Quintela-Lopez, T., Sideris-Lampretsas, G. & Attwell, D. The vascular contribution to cognitive decline in ageing and dementia. Nat. Rev. Neurosci. 26, 591–606 (2025).
5. American Heart Association News. Heart failure, atrial fibrillation & coronary heart disease linked to cognitive impairment. American Heart Association (2024).
6. American Heart Association News. Coronary heart disease before age 45 may increase risk of dementia later in life. American Heart Association (2023).
7. Saeed, A., Lopez, O., Cohen, A. & Reis, S. E. Cardiovascular Disease and Alzheimer’s Disease: The Heart–Brain Axis. J. Am. Heart Assoc. 12, (2023).
8. Kamińska, M. S. et al. Menopause Predisposes Women to Increased Risk of Cardiovascular Disease. J. Clin. Med. 12, 7058 (2023).
9. Beam, C. R. et al. Differences Between Women and Men in Incidence Rates of Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease. Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease 64, 1077–1083 (2018).
10. Leszek, J. et al. The Links between Cardiovascular Diseases and Alzheimer’s Disease. Curr. Neuropharmacol. 19, 152–169 (2020).
11. Lazar, R. M. et al. A Primary Care Agenda for Brain Health: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association. Stroke 52, (2021).
12. Kjeldsen, E. W. & Frikke-Schmidt, R. Causal cardiovascular risk factors for dementia: insights from observational and genetic studies. Cardiovasc. Res. 121, 537–549 (2025).
13. St-Onge, M.-P. et al. Sleep Duration and Quality: Impact on Lifestyle Behaviors and Cardiometabolic Health: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association. Circulation 134, (2016).
14. McEwen, B. S. Sleep deprivation as a neurobiologic and physiologic stressor: allostasis and allostatic load. Metabolism 55, S20–S23 (2006).
15. Smith, J. R. et al. Contribution of Modifiable Midlife and Late-Life Vascular Risk Factors to Incident Dementia. JAMA Neurol. 82, 644 (2025).
16. Martínez-González, M. A., Gea, A. & Ruiz-Canela, M. The Mediterranean Diet and Cardiovascular Health. Circ. Res. 124, 779–798 (2019).
17. Akbar, Z. et al. Associations of the MIND Diet with Cardiometabolic Diseases and Their Risk Factors: A Systematic Review. Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity Volume 16, 3353–3371 (2023).
18. NeuroReserve. RELEVATE Benefits Beyond Brain Health: Cardiovascular Health. NeuroReserve (2026).
19. Xia, M., Zhong, Y., Peng, Y. & Qian, C. Olive oil consumption and risk of cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality: A meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. Front. Nutr. 9, (2022).
20. Balestrino, M. Role of Creatine in the Heart: Health and Disease. Nutrients 13, 1215 (2021).