Study: Diabetics and the heart are exposed to Alzheimer's disease

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – According to a recent study, people at higher risk for heart disease, such as diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity, are more likely to develop brain changes that may lead to dementia.

The researchers examined data from 9772 adults who had all undergone magnetic resonance imaging at least once and provided information on their overall health and medical records.

The study is focused on a link between brain structure and so-called cardiovascular disease factors. They found that all other risk factors – smoking, high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity – were associated with abnormal brain changes in people with dementia, with the exception of high cholesterol.

The higher the risk of vascular disease, the worse the brain health, as evidenced by the decrease in volume and the decrease in the volume of the gray matter (a tissue located on the surface of the brain and responsible for the delivery of blood). orders to organs of the body or what are called nerve signals) and white matter (The deep parts of the brain and its function transfer nerve signals to the rest of the body).

"Some things that contribute to brain aging and cognitive functions can not be changed (like our genes)," said Simon Cox, head of the study, from the University of Edinburgh to United Kingdom. "We can see this as a list of what we have, some control factors or so-called flexible risk factors."

"There are many other benefits to improving cardiovascular health (improving diet, weight, exercise, blood sugar control, and smoking cessation)," Cox said by e-mail. "But there is other solid evidence that these benefits maintain brain health."

The strongest links between vascular and cerebrovascular factors have appeared in areas of the brain known to be responsible for more complex thinking abilities, which deteriorate during the development of Alzheimer's disease and dementia.

Researchers say in the European Heart Journal that factors in heart disease seem to affect brain health in middle age as well as in old age.