title: The mechanical cause of age-related dementia (Alzheimer's disease): the brain is destroyed by the pulse.
abstract: This review traces evidence that age-related dementia (Alzheimer's disease) results from the destructive impact of the pulse on cerebral vasculature. Evidence is reviewed that the neuropathology of the dementia is caused by the breakdown of small cerebral vessels (silent microbleeds), that the microbleeds result from pulse-induced damage to the cerebral vessels, and that pulse becomes increasingly destructive with age, because of the age-related stiffening of the aorta and great arteries, which causes an increase in the intensity of the pressure pulse. Implications for therapy are discussed, and evidence is reviewed that pulse-induced destruction of the brain, and of another highly vascular organ, the kidney, are becoming the default forms of death, the way we die if we survive the infections, cardiovascular disease, and malignancies, which still, for a decreasing minority, inflict the tragedy of early death.
authors.affiliation: Bosch Institute, Sydney, Australia Discipline of Physiology, University of Sydney.
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Stone
authors.affiliation: Bosch Institute, Sydney, Australia Discipline of Physiology, University of Sydney.
authors.forename: Daniel M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Johnstone
authors.affiliation: Bosch Institute, Sydney, Australia Discipline of Anatomy and Histology, University of Sydney.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mitrofanis
authors.affiliation: Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: O'Rourke
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy; D000818:Animals; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D001921:Brain / Q000098:blood supply / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002561:Cerebrovascular Disorders / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D011674:Pulse
keywords: Alzheimer's disease; causes of death; dementia; pulse; vascular aging