What’s good for your heart is good for your brain, says the American Heart Association (AHA). The same risk factors that contribute to making heart disease the leading cause of death worldwide also impact the rising global prevalence of brain disease, including stroke, Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.

In a new scientific statement published in the journal Stroke, the AHA revealed the three heart conditions that may influence brain health, including cognitive impairment, says EatingWell. Dr. Fernando D. Testai, chair of the AHA statement writing group and professor of neurology and rehabilitation, and vascular neurology fellowship director, at the University of Illinois College of Medicine, says that “managing heart health from an early age is important to prevent cardiovascular disease and cardiac events, protect brain health and reduce the risk of cognitive decline in later life.”

Here are the three heart conditions identified by the AHA that affect your brain:

•Atrial fibrillation. Also known as A-fib, this is the most common heart rhythm disorder affecting 2.7 million American adults in 2020. Those numbers are expected to rise to 16 million by 2050. A-fib increases the risk of stroke, which can damage the brain. The researchers found that A-fib also increases the risk of cognitive impairment by 39%. The reason is that people with A-fib cannot pump as much blood to areas of the brain responsible for cognitive function. A-fib is also associated with inflammation, which can increase risk for blood clots and brain injury.

• Heart failure. There are many causes of heart failure, which occurs when the heart muscle is weakened and doesn’t pump blood efficiently. These include A-fib, atrial flutter, heart attack, obstructive sleep apnea, high blood pressure and smoking. Heart failure results in less blood being pumped into the body and brain with each heartbeat. Therefore, less oxygen and nutrients are being supplied to the brain, leading to decline over time. The new study found that nearly 50% of people with heart failure had some sort of cognitive impairment that affected executive function. Executive function refers to skills that you use to manage everyday tasks like making plans, solving problems and adapting to new situations. The three main skills are working memory, cognitive flexibility and inhibition control.

• Coronary heart disease. Coronary heart disease, or CHD, refers to the buildup of plaque in the arteries around the heart that can cause a stroke or heart attack. Researchers found that people with CHD had a 27% higher risk of developing dementia compared to those who did not have CHD. The reason is similar to the other two heart conditions. People with CHD are more prone to brain harm because of decreased blood flow to the organ.

Testai said that recent evidence links genetic predisposition to cardiovascular health and brain structure. If you have hereditary risk factors for either heart disease or dementia, you are probably at risk for the other. Since there is no current cure for Alzheimer’s disease, prevention is the best path to take. Start with the AHA’s Life's Essential 8 prevention program to improve both heart and brain health.