Less forgetful due to healthier vessels
Medical science is advancing rapidly. We asked internist Majon Muller, professor of cardiovascular aging and initiator of the new Heart-Brain Center at Amsterdam UMC, about the latest developments in her field. Which breakthroughs will bring real improvements in the treatment of memory problems?
If you have heart problems, go to a cardiologist. If you suffer from poor memory, see a neurologist. But where do you go when you suffer from both problems? Doctors are increasingly discovering that cardiovascular problems often go hand in hand with problems with thinking skills. There is a good chance that you will eventually need help with daily life. Reason for founding the Hart-Brain Center, part of the Amsterdam UMC.
“The damage in the brain that makes you forgetful is partly caused by the fact that the small vessels in the head have less blood flow,” explains Muller. “The tissue around it also receives less blood, so that the brain tissue dies more quickly. to various symptoms, for example memory loss. People start to think more slowly and see things less well. Planning becomes less easy.”
Vicious circle
This can lead people into a vicious circle. Their poorer ability to remember and plan makes them less likely to take high blood pressure medications and take better care of themselves. As a result, blood pressure rises, blood vessels are damaged and even more memory problems arise.
Muller: “We started the Hart-Brain Center in the hospital especially for these people. We screen patients with heart and vascular disease. If you have memory problems, you will be examined further. The sooner we discover and treat memory problems, the better. An example of this is that we help you with the use of good care regarding lifestyle and taking medicines for, for example, blood pressure.”
Can you prevent or improve a poorer memory by taking certain heart medicines? That is the hope of the doctors at the Heart-Brain Center. But it’s not there yet.
This article appeared in the magazine Plus Magazine January 2020. Want to subscribe to Plus Magazine? Becoming a subscriber is done in no time!
Sources):
- Plus Magazine