title: Alzheimer’s disease, cerebrovascular disease, and the β-amyloid cascade.
abstract: Alzheimer’s disease (AD), considered the commonest neurodegenerative cause of dementia, is associated with hallmark pathologies including extracellular amyloid-β protein (Aβ) deposition in extracellular senile plaques and vessels, and intraneuronal tau deposition as neurofibrillary tangles. Although AD is usually categorized as neurodegeneration distinct from cerebrovascular disease (CVD), studies have shown strong links between AD and CVD. There is evidence that vascular risk factors and CVD may accelerate Aβ 40-42 production/ aggregation/deposition and contribute to the pathology and symptomatology of AD. Aβ deposited along vessels also causes cerebral amyloid angiopathy. Amyloid imaging allows in vivo detection of AD pathology, opening the way for prevention and early treatment, if disease-modifying therapies in the pipeline show safety and efficacy. In this review, we review the role of vascular factors and Aβ, underlining that vascular risk factor management may be important for AD prevention and treatment.
authors.affiliation: L.C. Campbell Cognitive Neurology Research Unit; Heart and Stroke Foundation Centre for Stroke Recovery, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre & University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. kiehon@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Kie
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Honjo
authors.forename: Sandra E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Black
authors.forename: Nicolaas P L G
authors.initials: NP
authors.lastname: Verhoeff
mesh_terms: D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides / Q000378:metabolism*; D016564:Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor / Q000378:metabolism; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism; D002561:Cerebrovascular Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides; D016564:Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor