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09:38

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Published on: November 14, 2017

Association of Alzheimer's disease blood-based biomarkers and visit-to-visit blood pressure variability: The HABS-HD

Jinfeng Deng1, Songbiao Li2,

  • 1Department of Neurology, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai, China.

Journal of Alzheimer'S Disease : JAD
|June 5, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Plasma total tau levels predict increased blood pressure variability (BPV), particularly in early Alzheimer's disease (AD) stages. This suggests AD pathology impacts cardiovascular regulation, highlighting AD as a systemic disorder.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience and Cardiovascular Research
  • Biomarker Discovery
  • Gerontology

Background:

  • The relationship between Alzheimer's disease (AD) and cardiovascular health is not fully understood.
  • While vascular factors influencing AD are known, the impact of AD pathology on blood pressure regulation is unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate if baseline plasma Alzheimer's disease (AD) biomarkers predict subsequent visit-to-visit blood pressure variability (BPV).
  • To explore the association between AD biomarkers and cardiovascular regulation.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective analysis of 470 community-based older adults from the Health and Aging Brain Study-Health Disparities (HABS-HD) cohort.
  • Multiple linear regression models assessed associations between plasma AD biomarkers (Aβ42/40 ratio, total tau, p-tau181, NfL) and BPV.
  • Models included progressive adjustments for demographics, clinical diagnosis, cardiovascular risk factors, mean blood pressure, and mutual confounding.

Main Results:

  • Plasma total tau independently predicted higher systolic blood pressure variability (BPV) in fully adjusted models.
  • This association was more pronounced in males, non-Hispanic White individuals, cognitively unimpaired individuals, APOE ε4 non-carriers, and those not using antihypertensive medication.
  • Sensitivity analyses confirmed the robustness of these findings.

Conclusions:

  • Plasma total tau is an independent predictor of BPV, especially in pre-clinical stages of Alzheimer's disease (AD).
  • This indicates a significant link between AD pathology and cardiovascular dysregulation.
  • Findings support the view of AD as a systemic disorder, offering new avenues for early risk identification and intervention.

Keywords:
Alzheimer's diseaseblood pressure variabilityplasma biomarkerstau

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