GeroScience · Aug 29, 2017
Hypertension impairs neurovascular coupling and promotes microvascular injury: role in exacerbation of Alzheimer's disease
By Csiszar A, Tarantini S, Fülöp GA et al.
Hypertension in the elderly substantially increases both the risk of vascular cognitive impairment (VCI) and Alzheimer's disease (AD); however, the underlying mechanisms are not completely understood. This review discusses the effects of hypertension on structural and functional integrity of cerebral microcirculation, including hypertension-induced alterations in neurovascular coupling responses, cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in microvascular damage (capillary rarefaction, blood-brain barrier disruption), and the genesis of cerebral microhemorrhages and their potential role in exacerbation of cognitive decline associated with AD. Understanding and targeting the hypertension-induced cerebromicrovascular alterations that are involved in the onset and progression of AD and contribute to cognitive impairment are expected to have a major role in preserving brain health in high-risk older individuals.