In that time, 176 of 1,309 people with the lowest scores suffered heart attacks, compared with 93 of 1,308
people with the highest scores. Meanwhile, there were 69 strokes among those with the lowest scores
compared with 48 strokes among those with highest scores, the study found.
While participants with lower executive function scores were slightly older on average and had fewer
years of education, the results stood even after adjustment for these factors, Sabayan said.
"I believe when it comes to vascular events, control of cardiovascular risk factors such as [high blood
pressure] or diabetes and healthy lifestyle are more important than innate intelligence," he said.
The study didn't find an association between lower memory scores and a higher risk of heart attack or stroke.