Heart Disease Causes Early Brain Dysfunction and Can Treble Key Alzheimer’s Protein
Published:18 Jan.2022 Source:University of Sheffield
The new research, published in eLife, has found that heart disease causes a breakdown of a key brain function which links brain activity and blood flow, meaning the brain gets less blood for the same amount of activity. This is happening in heart disease patients before the build up of fat in the brain's blood vessels (atherosclerosis) and is a prelude to dementia. Until now it has been unclear how some forms of vascular dementia can happen years before atherosclerosis in the brain.
The researchers also discovered that the combination of heart disease and a genetic predisposition for Alzheimer's Disease trebles the amount of beta-amyloid, a protein that builds up and triggers Alzheimer's, and increases the levels of an inflammatory gene (IL1) in the brain. Dr Osman Shabir, lead author of the study from the University of Sheffield's Neuroscience and Healthy Lifespan Institutes, said: "Alzheimer's Disease is the most common form of dementia worldwide and heart disease is a major risk factor for both Alzheimer's and dementia. The new findings are key to furthering our understanding of the links between heart disease and dementia.