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Cardiovascular risk factors and Alzheimer’s disease

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Abstract

Alzheimer’s disease is a devastating condition that is increasing in prevalence. No known prevention or cure exists for Alzheimer’s disease. Cardiovascular risk factors are prevalent and increase in the elderly, and there have been conflicting reports of associations between modifiable cardiovascular risk factors and Alzheimer’s disease. The mechanisms for these associations are uncertain, but they are likely to be the result of a combination of direct and cerebrovascular disease-related mechanisms. From this standpoint, diabetes and hyperinsulinemia seem to have the strongest evidence from laboratory, clinical, and epidemiologic studies. Studies have also indicated that hypertension, hyperlipidemia, hyperhomocysteinemia, and smoking are potentially important risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Taub Institute for Research of Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University, PH9E-105, 630 West 168th Street, 10032, New York, NY, USA

    José A. Luchsinger MD, MPH & Richard Mayeux MD

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  1. José A. Luchsinger MD, MPH
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  2. Richard Mayeux MD
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Luchsinger, J.A., Mayeux, R. Cardiovascular risk factors and Alzheimer’s disease. Curr Atheroscler Rep 6, 261–266 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11883-004-0056-z

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