Arteries and the risk of dementia

A group of scientists from the University of Pittsburgh came to the conclusion that the loss of elasticity of the arteries is a serious risk factor for the development of dementia in older people. The evidence in favor of this was obtained during 15 years of research. A group of 532 elderly people without signs of dementia, whose average age was 78 years, was recruited as subjects. Every year, all participants in the experiment underwent a routine examination, which included, among other things, an assessment of cognitive activity, an assessment of arterial rigidity by measuring the pulse wave propagation speed between the femoral and carotid arteries, and other studies. Rigidity was assessed in 356 subjects for 4 years, from 1996 to 2000.

During 15 years of follow-up, 212 (59.6%) subjects developed dementia. Statistical processing of data from long-term observations has shown that there is a relationship between increased arterial rigidity and the development of dementia, and, for example, blood pressure and pulse rate do not correlate with an increased risk of dementia. At the same time, the association of increased arterial rigidity with the risk of developing dementia persisted when adjusted for gender, age, race, body mass index, diabetes and other indicators.

According to scientists, this can be explained by the fact that as large arteries lose their elasticity, their ability to pump blood from the heart worsens, which leads to an increase in the pulsation force accompanying the flow of blood to the brain. This, in turn, leads to unnoticeable damage in the structure of the brain, which is an additional risk factor for the development of dementia.

The main question that follows from the results obtained is whether therapy aimed at reducing the rate of loss of arterial plasticity can also reduce the risk of developing dementia.

Article by Cui et al. Aortic Stiffness is Associated with Increased Risk of Incident Dementia in Older Adults published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease.

Anastasia Poznyak, portal "Eternal Youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru / based on the materials of PittHealthScience: Study Finds Modifiable Dementia Risk Factor in Elderly.