Recent research indicates that heart disease might be a significant factor in early brain dysfunction, which can potentially lead to dementia.
Moreover, heart disease can also lead to a threefold increase in the presence of an Alzheimer’s-related protein in the brain.
The study reveals that heart disease interrupts a crucial brain function that associates brain activity with blood flow. As a result, the brain receives less blood even when its activity remains the same.
This dysfunction in heart disease patients can occur before the accumulation of fats (atherosclerosis) in the brain’s blood vessels, which has been traditionally seen as a precursor to dementia.
The new finding helps clarify how certain types of vascular dementia can manifest even before atherosclerosis develops in the brain.
Additionally, for those with both heart disease and a genetic inclination towards Alzheimer’s Disease, there’s a significant increase—three times the usual amount—in beta-amyloid.
This protein is known for its association with Alzheimer’s as it accumulates and sparks the condition. There’s also a rise in the levels of an inflammatory gene known as IL1 in the brain.
Expert Insight
Dr. Osman Shabir, the study’s lead author from the University of Sheffield, emphasized the global prevalence of Alzheimer’s as a form of dementia and highlighted heart disease as a shared risk factor for both Alzheimer’s and dementia.
He stated, “We’ve discovered that heart disease in midlife results in the deterioration of neurovascular coupling, an essential brain mechanism.
This malfunction means our brain doesn’t receive sufficient oxygen when necessary, which can eventually culminate in dementia.”
Looking Ahead
The research team has received a three-year grant from the British Heart Foundation.
This funding will support their exploration into whether an arthritis medication, which targets IL1, could reverse or minimize the observed brain dysfunction instigated by heart disease.
Furthermore, the research team discovered that brain injuries could further deteriorate the regulation of blood flow in the brain.
This insight corroborates observations that brain injury or trauma often exacerbates patients’ symptoms.
This study underscores the intricate links between heart health and cognitive function.
The newfound connections between heart disease, early brain dysfunction, and increased Alzheimer’s protein levels can lead to novel therapeutic strategies and preventive measures in the fight against dementia and Alzheimer’s.
If you care about heart health, please read studies about how eating eggs can help reduce heart disease risk, and herbal supplements could harm your heart rhythm.
For more information about heart health, please see recent studies about supplements that could help prevent heart disease, stroke, and results showing that a year of committed exercise in middle age reversed worrisome heart failure.
The study was published in eLife.
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