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DALLAS, March 12, 2025 — The average adult brain only weighs about 3 pounds, yet it is one of the most complex and vital organs of the human body. Cognition may decline and our brains become prone to disease as we age , so as medical advances and other factors help the world’s population live longer the prevalence of brain disease, including dementia , is on the rise. However, keeping our brains healthy may be easier than people realize with some helpful guidance from the American Heart Association, a global force changing the future of health of all.
Optimal brain health includes the functional ability to perform all the diverse tasks for which the brain is responsible – including thinking, moving and feeling. Many modifiable risk factors for cognitive loss , such as an unhealthy diet and sedentary lifestyle, develop as early as childhood and adolescence. As we age, our ability to remember, problem-solve, think and communicate decreases.
“We now know that many of the same health risk factors that cause heart disease and stroke also contribute to a decline in overall brain health,” said Mitchell S. V. Elkind, M.D., M.S., FAHA, a neurologist and former volunteer American Heart Association president and currently its chief clinical science officer. “Just like with heart disease and stroke, most brain disease is preventable. However, the combination of an aging population and projected substantial increases in high blood pressure, obesity and diabetes are likely to lead to unprecedented growth in many types of brain disease.”
According to data reported in the 2025 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics: A Report of U.S. and Global Data From the American Heart Association :
Also reported in the statistical update:
“The burden of brain disorders is high. Dementia as a cause of death is growing faster than any other disease, including heart disease, the number one cause of death worldwide. Paradoxically, as we get better at treating other conditions, like heart disease, stroke and cancer, dementia as a cause of death increases,” Elkind said. “Using many of the same tools and information that have helped us successfully address cardiovascular risk factors and reduce the burden of heart disease over the past several decades, we should be able to do the same for brain disorders and promote brain health.”
Elkind said following the American Heart Association’s Life Essential 8™ can be as beneficial for brain health as it is for heart health. These include 4 health behaviors and 4 health factors identified as key measures for improving and maintaining cardiovascular health:
“The American Heart Association is committed to advancing brain science through innovative research that will help scientists shed new light on the causes and contributors to cognitive impairment and dementia, particularly as it relates to heart and vascular health,” Elkind said. “Additionally, we can support individuals and communities in thinking of brain health not only in terms of an absence of disease, but also in a more positive way. We can look at how we optimize brain function to include positive cognitive traits like creativity, adaptability, resilience, empathy and others.”
He said the increasing cost of poor brain health in lives and dollars makes the Association’s ongoing commitment to better understand how brains age and how vascular health impacts brain health and overall well-being even more imperative.
“When people are asked what health conditions they fear the most with aging, dementia tops the list, surpassing even cancer, heart disease and stroke,” Elkind said. “It’s critical that as a society and as individuals we understand and make the changes needed to improve health outcomes from brain disease and, more importantly, prevent them to begin with.”
Learn more about brain health at heart.org .
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About the American Heart Association
The American Heart Association is a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. Dedicated to ensuring equitable health in all communities, the organization has been a leading source of health information for more than one hundred years. Supported by more than 35 million volunteers globally, we fund groundbreaking research, advocate for the public’s health, and provide critical resources to save and improve lives affected by cardiovascular disease and stroke. By driving breakthroughs and implementing proven solutions in science, policy, and care, we work tirelessly to advance health and transform lives every day. Connect with us on heart.org , Facebook , X or by calling 1-800-AHA-USA1.