Benefits of Cardiac Rehabilitation Programs, Physical Exercise, and Cognitive Training on Cognitive Deficits in Cardiovascular Diseases

Cognitive deficits are common in individuals with cardiovascular risk factors (CVRF) and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Heart-brain interactions are gaining more attention nowadays mainly because of the increasing life expectancy that will lead to an increased prevalence of age-related cognitive deficits, dementia, and CVD. In healthy older adults, the benefits of physical exercise and cognitive stimulation on cognitive performance have been well documented. Herein we report on the potential benefits of these approaches and cardiac rehabilitation (CR) programs on cognitive and brain functions in CVD patients and the potential underlying physiological mechanisms supporting these beneficial effects.