Recent research has revealed that men with heart disease experience a faster decline in mental health compared to women.
According to a study published in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry, the mental health of men with heart disease may begin to decline rapidly in their 50s, whereas women with heart issues see a decline in their 60s or later.
British researchers have stated that the findings suggest that managing heart problems could increase the chances of preventing Alzheimer’s.
The study also indicates that men with heart disease need to pay more attention to their health earlier than women.
The researchers outlined several factors that increase the risk of heart disease, such as type 2 diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, and smoking, which also contribute to dementia.
However, the researchers did not specify at what age these factors or heart diseases begin to affect mental health in men and women.
The British researchers analyzed data from over 34,000 participants in the UK Biobank, tracking changes in brain structure over time through imaging scans.
They later assessed the risk of heart disease based on recorded data, finding that factors like obesity and excess abdominal fat contribute to a decline in brain volume in men a decade earlier than women.
The study concluded that men’s mental health declines rapidly between the ages of 55 and 74, while women’s mental health declines between the ages of 65 and 74.
