Scientists from the University of Sheffield found heart disease can directly cause brain dysfunction early on which could lead to dementia and can triple the amount of Alzheimer’s protein in the brain.
They found that heart disease causes a breakdown of a key brain function that 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.
The research is published in eLife and was conducted by Dr. Osman Shabir et al.
Until now it has been unclear how some forms of vascular dementia can happen years before atherosclerosis in the brain.
In the study, the team also found 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.
The team says 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 the understanding of the links between heart disease and dementia.
The team says that heart disease in midlife causes the breakdown of neurovascular coupling, an important mechanism in our brains that controls the amount of blood supplied to our neurons.
This breakdown means the brain doesn’t get enough oxygen when needed and in time this can lead to dementia.
The team has since been awarded a three-year grant by the British Heart Foundation to look at the use of an arthritis drug that targets IL1 to see if it could reverse or reduce the brain dysfunction seen to be caused by heart disease.
The team also found that brain injuries can also worsen brain blood flow regulation, supporting observations that patients’ symptoms often worsen after injuries or falls.
If you care about Alzheimer’s disease, please read studies about a new way to prevent Alzheimer’s disease, and medical cannabis can reduce this brain disorder.
For more information about brain health, please see recent studies about 13 things your doctor can check to help protect brain health, and results showing new drug for Alzheimer’s disease prevention is safe and effective.
Copyright © 2022 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.
