Heart-brain synchrony: Therapeutic implications for neurodegenerative disease

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Vahid Kazemizadeh1, Samira Rostami Mehr2, Farnaz Khazeifard2

  • 1Cardiovascular Research Center, Health Institute, Imam-Ali Hospital, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran; Department of Sport Physiology, Faculty of Sport Sciences, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran.

Progress in Brain Research
|July 18, 2025
PubMed

Insights

Heart failure significantly impacts brain function, leading to cognitive impairment. Understanding the heart-brain axis is crucial for developing new treatments for heart patients.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Medicine
  • Neuroscience
  • Pathophysiology

Background:

  • The brain-heart axis is well-researched, but the impact of heart disease on brain function (heart-brain axis) is less understood.
  • Heart failure (HF) is increasingly recognized as a risk factor for cognitive impairment.
  • Mechanisms like hypoperfusion, oxidative stress, and immune responses are implicated in cognitive dysfunction.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the current understanding of cognitive impairment in heart disease patients.
  • To explore the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms linking heart conditions to brain dysfunction.
  • To highlight the importance of considering cognitive health in cardiovascular patient care.

Main Methods:

  • This review synthesizes existing literature on the heart-brain axis and cognitive impairment in heart disease.
  • It examines studies focusing on heart failure and its effects on cognitive performance.
  • The review analyzes proposed mechanisms contributing to heart disease-related cognitive dysfunction.

Main Results:

  • Heart disease, particularly heart failure, is associated with significant cognitive deficits.
  • Hypoperfusion, oxidative stress, and neuroinflammation are key contributors to cognitive impairment in this population.
  • The intricate interplay within the heart-brain axis plays a critical role in disease progression.

Conclusions:

  • Cognitive impairment is a relevant complication of heart disease that warrants clinical attention.
  • Further research into the heart-brain axis mechanisms is essential for identifying novel therapeutic targets.
  • Interdisciplinary approaches are needed to manage cognitive dysfunction in patients with cardiovascular conditions.

Keywords:
Blood perfusionExerciseHeart failureImmune responseInflammatory responseOxidative stress

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