Four unexpected benefits of strengthening the cardiovascular system that will benefit your entire body

In 2010, the American Heart Association formulated "Life's Simple 7" – a set of rules for a healthy heart: balanced nutrition, physical activity, smoking cessation, maintaining a healthy weight, blood sugar, cholesterol, and blood pressure levels. In 2022, this list was expanded to "Life's Essential 8", adding quality sleep to the list.

New research, as reported by The New York Times...confirmed that together these measures not only reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, but also have a positive effect on the entire body.

The benefits begin at the cellular level: inflammation and other aging processes are reduced, explains Anthony Molina, a professor of medicine at the University of California, San Diego, specializing in gerontology. "Cardiovascular and many other chronic diseases are largely diseases of aging. But the risks begin to accumulate in youth due to poor heart health."

By protecting the heart, you help the whole body – from the brain to the fingertips, American doctors summarize. Therefore, here are four unexpected benefits of strengthening the cardiovascular system.

Brain protection

Good cardiovascular health, especially in young and middle age, is associated with better thinking—faster information processing, better speech—in adulthood. It also reduces the risk of dementia and depression.

One reason is the condition of the vascular system: arteries remain elastic and permeable, rather than thick and clogged, as in heart disease. Damage to the brain's blood vessels (due to smoking, high blood sugar, or plaques) increases the risk of stroke and some types of dementia.

Mobility in Older Age

Damage to blood vessels in the brain and peripheral vascular system (arms, legs, feet) affects walking speed, grip strength, and the ability to rise from a chair.

Regular physical activity helps maintain muscle mass and strength. And diets recommended for heart health—like the Mediterranean or DASH diets—can slow age-related decline in physical function: slower gait, frailty, and muscle weakness. This is partly because the nutrients in these diets reduce inflammation and cell damage.

Preservation of sight and hearing

Factors that protect the heart's arteries also support the tiny capillaries throughout the body. They supply oxygen and nutrients; without them, cells die, damaging organs.

High levels of sugar, cholesterol, and inflammation can damage the capillaries in the ears, increasing the risk of hearing loss. If oxygen doesn't reach the retina, hemorrhages and vision loss can occur.

Chances of a healthy pregnancy

Good heart health reduces the risk of complications during pregnancy, such as preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, and premature labor.

This is related to the condition of the placenta, which consists of blood vessels and nourishes the fetus. If the vessels are not healthy, the placenta forms worse.

Furthermore, pregnancy places a significant strain on the heart: both blood volume and the heart's workload increase. Women with poor cardiovascular health find it difficult to cope with these changes. And pregnancy complications increase the mother's risk of heart disease in the future and can affect the health of her children.

Good heart health from a young age reduces the likelihood of heart problems in adulthood.