People as young as 35 may experience a decline in their brain function if they are at risk of heart disease, a new study has found.

Risk factors for heart disease include being overweight, having diabetes and smoking. However, according to Dutch doctors, while ‘most people know the negative effects of heart risk factors such as heart attack, stroke and renal impairment, they do not realise it affects cognitive health. What's bad for the heart is also bad for the brain'.

The study involved over 3,700 people aged between 35 and 82. All underwent cognitive function and memory tests. The participants were also assessed for their risk of suffering a heart-related event in the next 10 years.

The doctors found that those displaying the highest amount of heart disease risk factors performed 50% worse on cognitive tests compared to those with the lowest number of heart risk factors.

Overall, age, high cholesterol levels, smoking and diabetes were all linked to poorer cognitive scores, however two risk factors in particular - smoking and diabetes - appeared to strongly affect cognitive functioning.

In relation to smoking, the more a person smoked, the poorer their cognitive function and memory scores were. Those who smoked one to 15 cigarettes per day, for example, scored 2.41 points less in cognitive tests, while those who smoked 16 or more cigarettes per day scored 3.43 points less.

"There clearly is a dose response among smokers, with heavy smokers having a lower cognitive function than light or non-smokers. It is likely that smoking cessation has a beneficial effect on cognitive function," the doctors from the University Medical Center in Groningen said.

They called on all health professionals, governments and the food industry to pay more attention to the link between cognitive function and heart risk factors. They also reminded the general public of the importance of looking after their health.

"Young adults may think the consequences of smoking or being overweight are years down the road, but they aren't."

Details of these findings are published in the journal, Stroke.

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