Research

Mixed

Maintaining ideal cardiovascular health (defined by 7 metrics: BMI, diet, smoking, physical activity, cholesterol, blood pressure, glucose) from young adulthood through middle age is associated with better cognitive function (psychomotor speed, executive function, verbal memory) in midlife.

Start building your cardiovascular health profile early. Aim to meet ideal levels for BMI, diet, smoking status, physical activity, cholesterol, blood pressure, and glucose. Maintaining these 7 metrics from young adulthood through middle age is linked to better cognitive function, including faster processing speed, better executive function, and stronger verbal memory in midlife. This isn't just about heart health; it's about protecting your brain for the long term.

GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
Ideal cardiovascular health in young adulthood and its maintenance to middle age is associated with better psychomotor speed, executive function, and verbal memory in midlife.
Jared P. Reis et al. · Annals of Neurology · 2012

Why this rating

Longitudinal study with 25-year follow-up, large sample size, and adjustment for confounders, but observational design limits causal inference.

Source

Cardiovascular health through young adulthood and cognitive functioning in midlife

Jared P. Reis et al. · Annals of Neurology · 2012

DOI 10.1002/ana.23836

cohort · n=2932Cited 168×
Read the paper
DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

This is one finding among thousands. Every one is graded and traced to its source, so you can see what the evidence actually supports. Browse the research →