According to doctors at Northwestern Medicine, “Most U.S. adults have a ‘heart age’ several years older than their chronological age — sometimes by more than a decade.”
Sadly, this epidemic of advanced cardiovascular aging leaves many struggling as their heart cells give out and the organ struggles to pump efficiently.
Daily tasks, like going up a flight of stairs, become more difficult, dizziness and shortness of breath set in, and fatigue becomes a way of life.
Luckily, scientists may have found a way to hack heart aging, thanks to a little-known nerve that acts as a critical link between the brain and the heart…
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The role of the vagus nerve in long-term heart health
The vagus nerve serves as a major component of the parasympathetic nervous system. While your sympathetic nervous system is in charge of your “fight or flight” stress response, its parasympathetic counterpart is known as the “rest and digest” system.
The “rest and digest” functions are involved in slowing the heart rate, lowering blood pressure and increasing heart rate variability by sending messages from the brain to the heart.
There are two branches of the nerve connected to the heart. The right branch primarily affects heart rate. The left vagus branch primarily regulates cardiac contractility.
Research led by the Translational Critical Care Unit (TrancriLab) of the Interdisciplinary Research Center for Health Science brought together leading institutions from Italy and abroad to examine the impact of the vagus nerve on heart health.
To do so, they developed an implantable bioabsorbable nerve conduit designed to promote and guide the spontaneous regeneration of the vagus nerve at the cardiac level, and tested it in pigs.
They found that the conduit promoted nerve regrowth and autonomic balance, which, in turn, preserved cardiac function and, in a sense, helped slow the aging of the heart.
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Leveling up your vagal nerve
According to the scientists, understanding the importance of the vagus nerve connections to the heart could lead to changes during thoracic surgeries, where the vagus nerve is sometimes “transected,” meaning cut in a way that could impair autonomic control or reduce cardiac function.
Since their research was done in pigs, it may be a while yet before the nerve conduit used in this study is tested in people to support long-term heart health.
However, there are currently vagus nerve stimulators that can be implanted under the skin. The FDA has approved such devices to treat drug-resistant epilepsy, chronic treatment-resistant depression and aid in stroke rehabilitation.
There are also non-invasive techniques to stimulate the nerve using electrical stimulation via the ear. Experts at the Cleveland Clinic also suggest resetting vagal health by:
- Performing breathwork – Intentional breathing helps calm your vagus nerve. The key is to exhale for longer than you inhale. For example, inhale for four seconds, then exhale for six seconds.
- Humming or singing – Your vagus nerve passes through your throat. This means that the vibration of humming or singing, especially long, drawn-out sounds, can help relax the vagal response.
- Try cold exposure – Splash your face with cold water, take a cold shower or put an ice pack on the back of your neck to activate your body’s calming response and allow your vagal nerve to reset.
- Staying active – Exercise is also vital to vagal health, helping your body shift from the sympathetic to the parasympathetic system.
All in all, the importance of the vagus nerve in heart health is coming to the forefront. With a bit of work, you may be able to keep your vagal connections going strong.
Sources:
Reconnecting the vagus nerve to the heart through nerve conduit preserves cardiac function in a minipig model of right cardiac vagotomy — Science Translational Medicine
This tiny nerve may help keep the heart young — ScienceDaily
Most U.S. adults have hearts older than their actual age — NORTHWESTERN NOW
Understanding the Link Between Vagus Nerve and Heart Problems — Vagus Nerve
How To Reset Your Vagus Nerve Naturally — Cleveland Clinic
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