Cardiovascular comorbidities, inflammation, and cerebral small vessel disease

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Vascular Biology
• Pathology

Background:

• Cerebral small vessel disease (cSVD) is the leading cause of vascular cognitive impairment.
• cSVD involves structural and functional changes in brain vasculature, decreasing perfusion.
• The incidence of cSVD is increasing due to an aging population.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the interplay between cSVD and inflammation.
• To explore how chronic cardiovascular diseases, like hypertension, influence brain small arteries in cSVD.
• To propose novel hypotheses regarding inflammation and cSVD.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on cSVD, inflammation, and cardiovascular disease.
• Integration of molecular findings from animal studies with clinical outcomes in patients.
• Exploration of the impact of hypertension-associated inflammation on cerebral vasculature.

Main Results:

• Disturbed interactions between neuronal, vascular, and inflammatory cells can lead to pathological inflammation in the brain.
• Hypertension-associated inflammation may significantly impact the structure and function of small cerebral arteries.
• Animal studies provide molecular insights that can be linked to human cSVD clinical outcomes.

Conclusions:

• There are currently no effective therapeutic strategies for cSVD.
• Understanding the role of inflammation in cSVD is crucial for developing future treatments.
• Further research is needed to explore novel hypotheses regarding inflammation and cSVD.