Slow thinkers may be more susceptible to heart diseases, according to a recent study carried out by the Leiden University Medical Centre in the Netherlands. Scientists came to the conclusion after monitoring the progress of almost 4000 individuals for a period of three years.
The average age of the study participants was 75 years. The researchers tested their high-level thinking skills by tests and were graded accordingly. It was observed that those in the lowest test score group were 85% more likely to have a heart attack and 51% more likely to have a stroke than members of the highest group.
Dr Behnam Sabayan, who led the research, explained that the results pointed out that the heart and brain were more closely related than what is generally believed, reports the Daily Mail. He also added that the results “emphasise that assessment of cognitive function should be part of the evaluation of future cardiovascular risk.” The findings of the study were published online in the journal Neurology.
