“Brain amyloid is a risk factor that likely begins prior to the development of memory problems and thus, these findings are very intriguing,” Dr. Jeffrey Burns, co-director of the University of Kansas Alzheimer’s Disease Center in Kansas City, said by email. “We do need to be careful to recognize that amyloid in the brain does not equal Alzheimer’s disease.”
It’s possible that brain vascular disease might either lead to an increase in amyloid deposits or a decreased ability to remove amyloid that accumulates. But the study wasn’t designed to answer this question, Dr. Andrew Budson, a neurology researcher at the VA Boston Healthcare System and Boston University School of Medicine, who wasn’t involved in the study, said by email.
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Still, the results add to the evidence suggesting that people who focus on heart health earlier in life may also be safeguarding their brains, said Dr. Hannah Gardener, a neurology researcher at the University of Miami, who wasn’t involved in the study.
“Patients and physicians need to work together to monitor and minimize the burden of vascular health factors like smoking, obesity, blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes, with the goal of protecting both heart and brain health, decades before Alzheimer’s disease typically manifests,” Gardener said by email.
SOURCE: http://bit.ly/2eRKuCu JAMA, online April 11, 2017.
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