The results suggest that these cardiovascular risk factors act independently in hampering the performance of the aging mind. For people with both risk factors, the detrimental effects on the aging brain is compounded. “There is no statistically significant difference between younger adults and high-health older adults in brain activations,” she said. “What we found in our study is that older adults activate these posterior regions about the same as younger adults,” Basak said. “There are cardiovascular-related differences in brain activation, and the greater your risk factors, the worse you perform,” Basak said.