For Brain Health, Protect Your Heart: A healthy cardiovascular system is associated with lower risk for dementia. (cover story)

DEMENTIA risk factors; DEMENTIA prevention; HEART disease risk factors; CARDIOVASCULAR diseases risk factors; COGNITION disorders; MEDITERRANEAN diet; SEDENTARY lifestyles; CARDIOVASCULAR system physiology; BRAIN diseases; BLOOD vessels; RISK assessment; PHYSICAL activity; VASCULAR diseases; DISEASE risk factors

An interview with American Heart Association Chief Clinical Science Officer Mitchell S. V. Elkind is presented. Elkind explains the impact of vascular health on brain health and refers to hypertension, atrial fibrillation, heart failure and obesity as vascular and cardiovascular disease risk factors to brain disease. He advises control of blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol and weight, physical activity and sufficient sleep to improve vascular and brain health.