Categories: Archives

Study links arterial problems to Alzheimer’s

Poor cardiovascular health may not only lead to heart problems but could also increase the risk for Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.

On Tuesday, researchers from the University of Pittsburgh and University of Virginia published an article in the academic journal Neurology. In the study, which began in 2009, researchers examined 91 elderly individuals between the ages of 83 and 96, none of whom were diagnosed with dementia.  

The research began with all subjects completing both MRI and PET imaging brain scans. Two years later, the researchers performed a series of cardiovascular tests that measured blood pressure, arterial stiffness and arterial pressure.

Participants who suffered from arterial stiffness — or hardening of the arteries — were most likely to experience two subsequent effects within the brain. The stiff arteries were correlated with buildup of amyloid plaque, a protein linked to Alzheimer’s disease. The arterial stiffness was also related to damage of the brain’s white matter, which houses its communicative pathways.

White matter damage and plaque buildup “has been suggested to be a ‘double hit’ contributing to the development of symptomatic dementia,” the researchers said in the article.

Pitt News Staff

Share
Published by
Pitt News Staff

Recent Posts

Students gear up, get excited for Thanksgiving break plans 

From hosting a “kiki” to relaxing in rural Indiana, students share a wide scope of…

8 hours ago

Photos: Pitt Women’s Basketball v. Delaware State

Pitt women’s basketball defeats Delaware State 80-45 in the Petersen Events Center on Wednesday, Nov.…

8 hours ago

Opinion | Democrats should be concerned with shifts in blue strongholds

Recent election results in such states have raised eyebrows nationwide, suggesting a deeper shift in…

17 hours ago

Editorial | Trump’s cabinet picks could not be worse

Over the past week, President-elect Donald Trump began announcing his nominations for Cabinet secretaries —…

17 hours ago

What Trump’s win means for the future of reproductive rights 

Pitt professors give their opinions on what future reproductive health care will look like for…

19 hours ago

Police blotter: Nov. 8 – Nov. 20

Pitt police reported one warrant arrest for indecent exposure at Forbes and Bouquet, the theft…

19 hours ago