A healthy heart positively affects brain function according to recent studies. The cardiac index shows the amount of blood being pumped from the heart through the body, and can be used as a measure of heart health. Researchers collected data from 1,039 participants over the course of an 11-year study. During that period, 32 cases of dementia and 26 cases of Alzheimer’s disease developed among individuals who were shown to have a lower cardiac index. The study’s findings suggest that having a healthier heart may help lower a person’s risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.