How Heart Health Directly Affects Your Brain and Memory

Heart health is brain health. High blood pressure, high cholesterol, and blood sugar don’t just affect your heart—they can also increase stroke risk and impact memory and long-term brain function.

In this episode of Baptist Health Talk, host Sandra Peebles speaks with Dr. Marcus St. John, interventional cardiologist, and Dr. Nestor Beltre, neurologist and movement disorder specialist, about how shared risk factors connect heart disease and cognitive health. They explain why keeping blood pressure in a healthy range may lower the risk of cognitive impairment, why exercise is truly “fertilizer for the brain,” and how the Mediterranean lifestyle supports both heart and brain health.

The doctors also address common misconceptions about supplements and explain how stress and depression can mimic memory problems—often mistaken for early dementia. Learn practical, evidence-based steps you can take today to protect both your heart and your brain.

Host:
Sandra Peebles
Award-Winning Journalist

Guests:
Marcus St. John, M.D.
Interventional Cardiologist
Baptist Health Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute

Nestor Beltre, M.D.
Neurologist and Movement Disorders Specialist
Baptist Health Miami Neuroscience Institute

Transcript

Dr. Nestor Beltre (00:00:00 -> 00:00:15)

Exercise really is like a fertilizer for the brain. So we often have this idea and many patients experiences. When you go and you do a jog, you go on a long walk, you feel mentally clear, you feel sharper, your stress goes down. And that's not just a feeling. That's really something that we can show biologically.

PreProduced VO (00:00:15 -> 00:00:25)

Welcome to Baptist Health Talk a podcast on all things healthcare, powered by Baptist Health South Florida, your trusted source for healthcare prevention and wellness.

Sandra Peebles (00:00:25 -> 00:01:14)

Hello everyone. I'm your host, Sandra Peebles. Welcome back to a new episode of Baptist Health Talk, where we answer your most searched health questions on trending topics. Today we're exploring one of the body's most powerful links, the one between your heart and your brain. These two organs depend on each other more than you might think, from how your blood pressure can shape your memory to the daily lifestyle choices that keep both strong. We're uncovering science behind this vital connection. To help us link the heart and brain, we've brought together two experts who know both ends of that story. Dr. Marcus St. John Interventional cardiologist at Baptist Health, Miami Cardiac and Vascular Institute, and Dr. Nestor Beltre, neurologist and Movement disorder specialist at Baptist Health Miami Neuroscience Institute. Welcome, gentlemen.

Dr. Marcus St. john (00:01:15 -> 00:01:16)

Thank you. Thank

Sandra Peebles (00:01:16 -> 00:01:29)

You. I'm excited to have this conversation. So there's a lot that's said about what's good for the heart is good for the brain. So Dr. St. John, from a medical perspective, um, what does that really mean?

Dr. Marcus St. john (00:01:29 -> 00:02:01)

So it means that the heart and the brain share a lot of common risk factors. So when we talk about a risk factor, it's something that increases the chances of you developing a health problem with a particular organ, such as heart attack or a stroke. So some of the usual risk factors for heart disease include high blood pressure, high blood sugar, high cholesterol. All of those are also risk factors for stroke and brain disease. So that's what we mean by there are a lot of shared risk factors for the heart and the brain.

Sandra Peebles (00:02:01 -> 00:02:12)

Dr. Beltre, um, how exactly are the heart and the brain connected? So, uh, can you walk us through how blood flow and the nervous system link these two powerhouses?

Dr. Nestor Beltre (00:02:12 -> 00:02:40)

Absolutely. So the brain really needs a healthy blood flow in order to work correctly. And we know from multiple studies that high blood pressure, for example, can lead to a higher risk of having dementia and cognitive issues later in life. And patients that have cardiac disease often have cognitive symptoms. So having a healthy heart, uh, is having a healthy brain. And I often tell my patients, uh, heart health, the same things they know about exercise, blood pressure, medications, controlling your cholesterol is also brain health.

Sandra Peebles (00:02:41 -> 00:02:54)

And Dr. St. John, um, how important is it to think of these, uh, organs in unison? In other words, not to think of my, my heart health as separate from my brain health, but how do we bring these two together and create awareness of that?

Dr. Marcus St. john (00:02:55 -> 00:03:33)

Yeah, I think as Dr. Beltre is highlighting you, every, everything that you do that is good for the heart is good for the brain. And I think for each individual patient focusing on what their highest priority is, will often be our best way to, to get them to take good steps that will be good for both. For instance, I see many patients whose biggest concern is, well, mom or dad had cognitive decline, or my brother just had a heart attack. So we leverage their interests, their concern, get them to take healthy behaviors, and they will be helping both their health, their heart, and their brain

Sandra Peebles (00:03:33 -> 00:03:50)

<laugh> their heart health and their brain health without a doubt. Um, Dr. Beltre, a lot of people think that having low blood blood pressure is actually great for your health, but is there actually a relationship between blood pressure and brain health? Um, can can we be even talking about dementia here?

Dr. Nestor Beltre (00:03:51 -> 00:04:24)

Absolutely. So there was a large trial called the Sprint Mind Trial that looked into this question and they saw that patients that maintained their blood pressure in the normal range had lower risk of having cognitive impairment or cognitive symptoms later in life. And we know that higher blood pressure can lead to strokes, which can sometimes be silent, but over time can accumulate and lead to a lot of the same problems that like Alzheimer's, like trouble with memory, forgetting the names of close family members, trouble walking. And a lot of these things are preventable and it's one of the strongest, most preventable risk factors we have for cognitive impairment.

Sandra Peebles (00:04:24 -> 00:04:39)

So let's get into actionable tasks. 'cause people always wanna know, what can I do? And the Mediterranean diet is always mentioned when it comes to longevity. So what makes that lifestyle or that type of diet, that style of eating, um, such a, such a powerful tool for the heart and the brain?

Dr. Marcus St. john (00:04:40 -> 00:05:21)

I think the Mediterranean diet and lifestyle sort of focusing, uh, focuses on a lot of things that are good for blood pressure that help lower cholesterol. So it is low sodium, it is very low processed, it is low in saturated fats. Um, it highlights the importance of vegetables and fruits. It limits the intake of, of animal protein. And these are all sensible heart healthy and brain healthy actions. And I think when we think of that lifestyle, we think of spending time with family members of exercise, of walking after dinner, all good things to improve your chances of keeping your risk profile for stroke, heart attack and other diseases low.

Sandra Peebles (00:05:21 -> 00:05:47)

And I love that you mentioned that. 'cause when I asked you the question, I said Mediterranean diet, but you said Mediterranean lifestyle, which includes that exercise and the family, uh, togetherness, right? Yes. Community. We've already has been proven that that is so, um, important for our overall health. So let's talk about movement, Dr. Beltre. And, um, we know that exercise keeps the heart strong, but what does movement do for our memory, for our mental sharpness, for focus? Um, what could, what does it do for the brain?

Dr. Nestor Beltre (00:05:47 -> 00:06:25)

Right? Exercise really is like a fertilizer for the brain. So we often have this idea and many patients experiences, when you go and you do a jog or you go on a long walk, you feel mentally clear, you feel sharper, your stress goes down. And that's not just a feeling. That's really something that we can show biologically. So exercise increases blood flow, it takes away toxins that accumulate throughout the day in your brain. And we know, for example, in Parkinson's disease, it's the only medication or intervention that slows the progression of the disease. So it really is super effective. And even without weight loss, exercise has huge benefits both for the brain and the heart.

Sandra Peebles (00:06:26 -> 00:06:33)

It's so interesting. So weight loss isn't necessarily the goal, it's the actual movement to get that blood literally and that oxygen to the brain. To the heart.

Dr. Nestor Beltre (00:06:33 -> 00:06:48)

Exactly. Well, it, it is dependent on each patient. But, uh, if you're a patient that's working, that's doing exercise has started walking, but the scale is not changing, you can still be assured that you are doing something that's good for your body and it is making your heart stronger and it's making your brain healthier. And that's

Sandra Peebles (00:06:48 -> 00:06:55)

So important. 'cause a lot of people might feel like, I can't lose. Like, I, I can't lose weight. I can't lose weight. Why? Exercise, exercise, move. Yeah. We need to keep moving. I,

Dr. Marcus St. john (00:06:55 -> 00:07:20)

I wanna highlight if I could absolutely. I say this to my patients, almost daily exercise, even without weight loss is worth it. So get moving. Um, and don't focus only on the scale. And I love what Dr. Beltre say that exercise is fertilizer for the brain. I say in my practice to patients, exercise is the function of youth. Um, absolutely always want a shortcut or a pill or this and that. Uh, get moving.

Sandra Peebles (00:07:21 -> 00:07:44)

The only true fountain of youth, it's, I'm glad that we're saying all these things to motivate people, right? Yeah. Don't say, oh, if I don't lose weight, I'm not gonna do it. Do it. Yes. Get out there and move. Absolutely. So let's talk about cholesterol. Yeah. Uh, many people in their adulthood have, um, a high LDL levels. Yeah. Um, during early adulthood that is now being linked to dementia. So is it ever too late to start making, uh, lifestyle changes? Dr. St. John? No.

Dr. Marcus St. john (00:07:44 -> 00:08:16)

Never too late. Um, never too early. Also <laugh>. Um, so just for the audience, LDL is bad cholesterol. The HDL is the good cholesterol. We focus mostly on the LDL when we're thinking about cardiac and, and, uh, brain risk. Um, all of the elements of the Mediterranean diet, the exercise, the movement, those are all things that will help you lower your bad cholesterol, lower your LDL, and that's associated with a decreased risk for heart attack and, and other conditions that, that people care about.

Sandra Peebles (00:08:16 -> 00:08:32)

Okay. So Dr. Belcher, this is a, uh, an area I'm very passionate about and it's our emotions and how they register on our health, right? So, um, we know that stress and anxiety can definitely affect the heart, but can they also affect our mental focus, our clarity? Do our emotions affect our organs?

Dr. Nestor Beltre (00:08:33 -> 00:09:25)

Absolutely. So we know from, um, there is a clinical syndrome called pseudo dementia, which is where a patient pseudo means fake. And dementia means, you know, having cognitive issues. And there's patients that will walk into the clinic and their families and the patient would be concerned that their memories either forgetting things, losing their keys, getting lost on the way home. And it can look a lot like Alzheimer's disease. But the actual cause is simply depression and anxiety can mimic many of the same symptoms of cognitive impairment. So if a patient is struggling with these symptoms, it's important to address that early, whether that's psychotherapy or medications changing in lifestyle because the longer you're in that state that is causing injury to the brain and is affecting your ability to focus and be more engaged with your family. And that can have a, a cycle created a, a spiral of worsening brain health over time. So it's really important to address these symptoms early.

Sandra Peebles (00:09:25 -> 00:09:32)

And exercise here also is a factor, right? It helps with depression getting out there, not being lonely, not being locked up, right? Um,

Dr. Nestor Beltre (00:09:32 -> 00:09:53)

That's absolutely, exercise is incredibly important. And I tell my patients, you know, some patients, you know, they're, they're not ready to start a medication yet. And I say what you can do that's just as effective as a medication is getting out, doing exercise and speaking with therapists and also speaking and reaching out to close contacts, like close friends and family. And that can be a very effective first step.

Sandra Peebles (00:09:53 -> 00:10:14)

Let's remember that we do the show based on the most asked questions. So these are trending topics and we get questions from moms that speak about having that mom brain fog or mom brain. Um, could heart health or circulation play a role in that too for moms that are busy or distracted or, or really overwhelmed with so many tasks?

Dr. Marcus St. john (00:10:14 -> 00:10:41)

I think that is less likely to be a sign of, of any sort of heart disease, uh, to be honest and more likely to be a sign of sort of chronic sleep deprivation. Uh, maybe hormonal fluxes with, with recent delivery, um, and stress and anxiety that Dr. Beltre was just talking about. So less likely a sign that there's something wrong with your heart, but all of those other important factors are likely contributing to, to that mom brain, uh, syndrome.

Sandra Peebles (00:10:41 -> 00:10:54)

Uh, sometimes we think that the heart disease is a man issue, uh, and obviously it affects so many women. Uh, what should women look out for that might be different, uh, than, um, symptoms for men? Dr. Beltre?

Dr. Nestor Beltre (00:10:54 -> 00:11:33)

Uh, right. So, you know, that's certainly the narrative in the public for many decades. And, uh, heart health is a men's issue, but we know women are just as likely to have heart disease and many of the symptoms go underrecognized. So women often will have recurrent shortness of breath, uh, trouble breathing. They might have nausea, they might have a chest pressure that's not quite that sharp left-sided chest pain that many of us have heard about, uh, to identify as this, uh, heart attack. So if you're having these symptoms, it's important to reach out to your medical providers. And if, if it's really severe and you're having trouble breathing and functioning, you should go to an emergency room and make sure that they do an appropriate workup because we want to identify these issues early

Sandra Peebles (00:11:33 -> 00:12:00)

And how, and it's very important to get people to actually do that. So I'm glad to be having this conversation. 'cause a lot of women might think, oh, it's okay, it's just slowing me down, but I'm busy. I have things to do and we all have things to do. Mm-hmm <affirmative>. Uh, so they might not really pay attention to it. But you're saying really, if you feel a little bit, uh, tired or you feel some of these symptoms really go in and and go get it checked out, can a healthy brain exist with an unhealthy heart or can there be poor heart health and healthy brain? Or are these codependent? Dr. St. John, they,

Dr. Marcus St. john (00:12:00 -> 00:12:30)

They really are codependent. Mm. So healthy behaviors, healthy numbers translate into good health for both your heart and your brain. Um, so, you know, we, we see patients in my practice who've had strokes and Dr. Be Tracy's heart attack patients and arrhythmia patients. And it, there, there's really just an overlap between these two organs and the actions that we take that help one or the other, or hurt one or the other, invariably can, can affect both. So heart health is, is brain health.

Sandra Peebles (00:12:30 -> 00:12:50)

Okay. So we spoke about some of the things that we can do, eating healthy, having community exercising, obviously movement, but the internet is full of information on supplements that can help our brain. I've seen it. And of course we all want that. Uh, we wanna clear brain and, and, and, and more focus. Is there any truth to the claims with these supplements or are there actually some supplements that could, that can help us?

Dr. Nestor Beltre (00:12:51 -> 00:13:43)

So I usually recommend my patients be cautious, uh, with many of these supplements. Um, many of these companies are making a lot of promises that aren't supported by evidence. And there can be a significant financial cost with many of these medications. But the best thing is to speak with your physician, make sure you have an open-ended conversation about the medic supplements you're taking and have a discussion. Many of them are safe, uh, but some may have interactions with medications or may have, uh, uh, health implications as well. And I always tell my patients, if you're paying for a supplement, uh, and that's getting in the way of you doing something that's more effective, like paying for a medication or, or having an exercise routine or having a gym membership, that's where I recommend that they, they don't pursue these options. But if it's a relatively safe medication and it's not having a significant financial burden, uh, then I think it's, uh, up to the patient's, uh, you know, discretion about what they wanna take. And

Sandra Peebles (00:13:43 -> 00:13:50)

Maybe definitely come to your doctor, bring the supplement and to, and, and kind of consult it with your doctor. 'cause you would know if it interacts or maybe even the pharmacist.

Dr. Marcus St. john (00:13:50 -> 00:13:55)

Yes, the pharmacist is actually an excellent, um, resource for for many, many patients.

Sandra Peebles (00:13:55 -> 00:14:13)

Yeah. We have to check things out. Yeah. Okay. So this question is for both of you. I know that here, um, at Baptist there's a lot of collaboration between the cardiology team, the neurology teams. Uh, can you share how your partnership works in your practice and why, uh, combining these is so important for the patient outcome? And let's start with you, Dr. St. John.

Dr. Marcus St. john (00:14:13 -> 00:15:02)

Yeah. So we, we work together very commonly, uh, oftentimes in the acute setting. When patients come in with a stroke or a heart attack, um, one or the other, complicated by by the others, we're very often caring in real time for patients undergoing acute, uh, challenges. And then in the outpatient setting, we commonly collaborate. Um, you know, we call each other if there are certain things that maybe we want to talk about for each individual patient. So there's a lot of cross pollination. We also have huge staffs of, of folks who work with us, the social workers, the physical therapists, the occupational therapist, and those types of additional healthcare providers actually work within both spheres of the Neuroscience Institute and the, the Cardiac and Vascular Institute. So there's a lot of overlap and commonality.

Sandra Peebles (00:15:03 -> 00:15:10)

So Dr. Belcher, from your perspective, uh, same question. Tell me about the collaboration between the neurology team and the neurology team here at Baptist.

Dr. Nestor Beltre (00:15:11 -> 00:15:51)

Well, you know, that was very well stated, especially in the inpatient side. There's a lot of collaboration. We're often consulted on the same patient, particularly with stroke and irregular heart rate or high, high blood pressure, difficult to control. Um, there's also in other, uh, areas of neurology, such as in Parkinson's disease, patients can develop over time low blood pressure and issues with their cardiovascular system. And often we're reaching out to our cardiology colleagues to help us manage the patient together so that we can have the best, uh, the best care for that patient. I think that really improves patient care. 'cause many patients want their physicians working together and being on the same page and having a unified front on how to do the best for that patient.

Sandra Peebles (00:15:51 -> 00:16:15)

Well, Dr. Beltre, Dr. St. John, thank you so much. I think that empowering people with this information is so important. So thank you for the work that you do here at Baptist Health and it's been a great conversation. Thank you for sharing your insight with our audience. And remember viewers, be sure to hit that subscribe button on our channel here to keep up with the latest health and wellness information and tips from our experts. Thank you for watching.

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