People who have early signs of heart problems may also have changes in brain health that can be early signs of dementia, such as loss of brain volume, according to a meta-analysis published online in Neurology. The meta-analysis does not prove that early heart problems cause loss of brain cells; it only shows an association.

“This review shows that better heart health is associated with larger brain volumes, suggesting that the preservation of heart function could help maintain brain health and memory and thinking skills during the aging process,” said meta-analysis author Frank J. Wolters, MD, Ph.D., of Erasmus University Medical Center in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.

“These results add to the importance of early detection and treatment of heart problems.”

The meta-analysis included seven studies from Europe and the United States with a total of 10,889 participants with an average age of 67. The studies measured early signs of heart problems, including systolic and diastolic dysfunction.

Systolic dysfunction is when the left ventricle of the heart can’t contract normally and pump blood efficiently. Diastolic dysfunction is when the left ventricle does not relax properly between heartbeats and fill with blood. The studies also used MRI brain scans to measure brain volumes.

The meta-analysis found that people with moderate to severe systolic dysfunction were more likely to have a smaller total brain volume than people with normal systolic function. People with diastolic dysfunction also had a smaller total brain volume and smaller volume in the hippocampus area of the brain, which plays a role in memory.

“The meta-analysis shows that even mild diastolic dysfunction is associated with adverse brain health,” Wolters said. “Evaluating people who have heart problems—especially impaired diastolic function—for problems with memory and thinking skills could help us detect any cognitive decline early and start interventions.”

Wolters noted that additional studies are needed to investigate the relationship between heart health and brain health, particularly to link imaging findings to important health outcomes.

A limitation of the meta-analysis was that the majority of participants were white people, so the results cannot be generalized to more diverse populations.