Study finds association between heart dysfunction and smaller brain volumes

People who have early signs of heart problems can also have changes in brain health that can be early signs of dementia, such as loss of brain volume, according to a meta-analysis published on March 26, 2025, online in Neurology^®The Medical Journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The meta-analysis does not provide that early heart problems cause loss of brain cells; It only shows an association.

This review shows that better health of the heart is associated with larger brain volumes, which suggests that maintaining heart function can help maintain the health of the brain and memory and thinking skills during the aging process. These results contribute to the importance of early detection and treatment of heart problems. “

Frank J. Wolters, MD, PhD, Meta-analysis from Erasmus University Medical Center in Rotterdam, Netherlands

The meta-analysis included seven studies from Europe and the United States with a total of 10,889 participants with an average age of 67. The studies measured early signs of heart problems, including systolic and diastolic dysfunction. Systolic dysfunction is when the left ventricle of the heart cannot normally contract and pumps blood efficiently. Diastolic dysfunction is when the left ventricle is not relaxed between heartbeats and filling with blood. The studies also used MRI brain scans to measure brain volumes.

The meta-analysis discovered that people with moderate to severe systolic dysfunction had a smaller total brain volume rather than people with a normal systolic function. People with diastolic functional problems also had a smaller total brain volume and a smaller volume in the hippocampus area of ​​the brain, which plays a role in memory.

“The meta-analysis shows that even mild diastolic dysfunction is associated with an unfavorable brain health,” Wolters said. “Evaluating people who have heart problems, especially a reduced diastolic function for problems with memory and thinking skills can help us detect any cognitive decline early and start interventions.”

Wolters noted that additional studies are needed to investigate the relationship between heart health and brain health, Especially to link findings of imaging to important health results.

A limitation of the meta-analysis was that the majority of the participants were white people, so the results cannot be generalized to more diverse populations.