A novel approach to the prevention and management of cardiovascular diseases: targeting brain–heart axis

Epidemiological studies indicate that cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death and disability worldwide, imposing a significant socioeconomic burden. Despite continuous medical advancements and new preventive measures offering new prospects for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, the incidence and mortality rates remain high, presenting a challenging outlook for prevention and treatment. Exploring new strategies for preventing and treating cardiovascular diseases has become particularly urgent. The recent research has shown a close relationship between heart health and brain health. The autonomic neural central network in the brain regulates heart function through efferent activities. Cardiac dysfunction leads to afferent remodeling of the heart, adversely affecting central neural circuits and impairing higher brain functions, hence giving rise to the "brain-heart axis" concept. In the recent years, the concept of the brain-heart axis has been further refined into the brain-heart axis and heart-brain axis. The brain-heart axis has become a new target for preventing and treating cardiovascular diseases. Establishing a comprehensive theoretical and mechanistic framework of the brain-heart axis is essential for enhancing our systematic understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms of cardiovascular diseases and finding new therapeutic approaches. We will explore brain-heart interactions, including ischemic stroke-induced, stress-induced, and neurodegenerative cardiac damage, and discuss the potential mechanisms behind these interactions. In addition, we will summarize research on targeted brain function activity detection and cardiovascular disease prevention, aiming to provide references for future in-depth research and precision treatment in targeting brain regions for cardiovascular disease prevention.