Healthy heart = healthy brain

We are starting to learn more about how heart health may impact your brain. A study out this week found people with an irregular heartbeat, known as atrial fibrillation, were 44% more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease. It’s been well documented in the past that a fluttering heart can lead to blood blots or stroke. But researchers are puzzled by the association to Alzheimer’s disease. What we do know is there are several risk factors heart disease and Alzheimer’s patients share. So perhaps the key to lowering your risk of both disease is keeping your ticker healthy.

Here are a few tips to get you started:

KNOW YOUR NUMBERS High blood pressure, high cholesterol, and being overweight are all risk factors for heart disease. Controlling these factors when you're younger promises healthy dividends when you're older. Visit heart.org for a list of what levels your vital signs should be at. Also, exercise is a great way to keep your heart strong and your numbers in check. Aim for 30 minutes of cardiac exercise a day, five days a week.

STOP SMOKING! Smoking causes your good cholesterol levels, or HDL, to drop and causes high blood pressure. Smoking robs some of the oxygen from your body, reducing blood cells to freely flow to heart.

CALL YOUR DOCTOR If you or a loved one is living with atrial fibrillation, call your doctor and ask about treatment options. Depending on its severity, atrial fibrillation can be treated by a simple blood thinner. Because this condition is associated with an increased risk of stroke, and perhaps Alzheimer’s disease as well, it's important to get the optimal treatment as soon as possible.

Taking care of your heart will lower your risk for many ailments—including your brain! No excuses from this point forward. Making healthy changes now will keep you healthier, longer.

Be sure to tune in to Dr. Sanjay Gupta every weekend on HOUSE CALL. You'll find the answers to your medical questions Saturday and Sunday at 7:30 a.m. ET on CNN.