Metabolism-Mediated Regulation of Brain–Heart Interactions

Cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases are serious threats to human health and impose a significant burden on individuals and society. As the two critical and complex organs with the highest metabolic demands, the brain and the heart form an interactive relationship through metabolic networks. As a core prerequisite for maintaining the normal physiological functions of the body, metabolic homeostasis is also a crucial foundation for ensuring the brain–heart synergy. When the human metabolism is in a stable state, the energy supply and material exchange of the brain and the heart can accurately match demand, the neural signal transmission is smooth, and the myocardial contraction is strong and regular—thus ensuring the coordinated and unified functions of these two vital organs. However, once metabolic homeostasis is disrupted, problems such as energy metabolism disorders will arise, which will then become a core inducing mechanism for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular comorbidities. This article presents a review of the research progress on the potential mechanisms of brain-heart interactions based on metabolic regulation from three aspects: neurometabolic, endocrino-metabolic and immune–metabolic regulation, the impact of cardiac function on brain metabolism, and the bidirectional regulation of brain-heart metabolism.