Study links heart failure to brain
Published on 01 February 2012 03:00 PM
New research has linked heart failure to a decline in mental processes.
A study by experts at the University of Western Australia discovered that patients with heart failure suffered greater problems with their memory and reaction speeds than those without.
Researchers analysed data for 35 people with heart failure, 56 with ischaemic heart disease and 64 healthy people. All were over 45.
They said the heart failure patients also experienced changes in the brain linked to mentally demanding, cognitive and emotional processing.
Professor Osvaldo Almeida said: 'What we found in this study is that both ischaemic heart disease and heart failure are associated with a loss of cells in certain brain regions that are important for the modulation of emotions and mental activity.'
The research was published in the European Heart Journal.
Copyright Press Association 2012