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Published on: June 14, 2020
Basic Science and Pathogenesis
Hsin-Pei Wang1, Naomi Saito2, Laurel Beckett2
1University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA, USA.
Insights
Cardiovascular risk factors like diabetes and hypercholesterolemia are linked to Alzheimer disease (AD) neuropathology, including neuropil threads and amyloid angiopathy. This highlights the need for diverse cohorts in AD research.
Area of Science:
- Neuropathology
- Neuroscience
- Cardiovascular Disease Research
Background:
- Cardiovascular risk factors are linked to Alzheimer disease (AD) progression and neuropathology.
- Their specific impact on regional brain pathology in diverse populations is understudied.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the relationship between diabetes, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and neuropathologies in a diverse cohort of individuals with Alzheimer disease.
- To investigate regional differences in arteriolosclerosis, cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA), core plaques (CPs), diffuse plaques (DPs), and neuropil threads (NTs).
Main Methods:
- A cohort study of 276 Hispanic and non-Hispanic White decedents with pathologically confirmed Intermediate/High AD.
- Assessed three-level categorizations (absent, active/recent, inactive/remote) of diabetes, hypertension, and hypercholesterolemia.
- Used semi-quantitative assessments for regional neuropathologies adapting CERAD criteria.
Main Results:
- Active diabetes associated with increased frontal neuropil threads (NTs).
- Active hypercholesterolemia correlated with greater temporal cortex cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) and temporal core plaques (CPs).
- No significant associations found between hypertension and neuropathology.
Conclusions:
- Diverse cohorts are crucial for generalizable Alzheimer disease (AD) research.
- Established links between cardiovascular risk factors and AD neuropathologies support precision medicine for dementia.
Background:
Cardiovascular risk factors have been implicated in the progression of Alzheimer disease (AD) and its neuropathological hallmarks, yet their specific contributions to regional brain pathology in diverse populations remain understudied.
Method:
In this cohort study (n = 276), we examined the relationship between three-level categorizations (absent, active/recent, inactive/remote) of diabetes, hypertension, and hypercholesterolemia, and neuropathologies in a diverse group of Hispanic and non-Hispanic White decedents with pathologically confirmed Intermediate/High AD from three Alzheimer's Disease Research Centers. Semi-quantitative assessments for regional arteriolosclerosis, cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) density, core plaques (CPs), diffuse plaques (DPs), and neuropil threads (NTs) were done adapting scales from established CERAD criteria.
Result:
Active diabetes was associated with increased density of frontal NTs (p <0.01), while active hypercholesterolemia correlated with greater density of CAA in temporal cortex (p = 0.04) and posterior hippocampus (p = 0.03), as well as temporal CPs (p = 0.03), as determined by Kruskal-Wallis test. No significant associations were observed between hypertension status and neuropathology. Ordinal logistic regression adjusting for cardiovascular risk factors, ethnicity, sex, age of death, and center confirmed these associations except for CPs in the temporal cortex.
Conclusion:
This study underscores the importance of incorporating diverse cohorts in AD research to ensure broader generalizability and shows links between cardiovascular risk factors and AD-related neuropathologies, advancing precision medicine approaches for dementia.
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