Brain arterial dilatation and the risk of Alzheimer's disease

Jose Gutierrez; Vanessa Guzman; Farid Khasiyev; Jennifer Manly; Nicole Schupf; Howard Andrews; Richard Mayeux; Adam M Brickman

doi:10.1016/j.jalz.2018.12.018

Brain arterial dilatation and the risk of Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimers Dement. 2019 May;15(5):666-674. doi: 10.1016/j.jalz.2018.12.018. Epub 2019 Mar 1.

Authors

Jose Gutierrez¹, Vanessa Guzman², Farid Khasiyev³, Jennifer Manly⁴, Nicole Schupf⁵, Howard Andrews⁶, Richard Mayeux⁵, Adam M Brickman⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Neurology, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA. Electronic address: [email protected].
² Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's disease and the Aging Brain, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
³ Department of Neurology, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
⁴ Department of Neurology, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's disease and the Aging Brain, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; The Gertrude H. Sergievsky Center, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
⁵ Department of Neurology, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's disease and the Aging Brain, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; The Gertrude H. Sergievsky Center, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Department of Psychiatry, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
⁶ Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's disease and the Aging Brain, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; The Gertrude H. Sergievsky Center, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Department of Psychiatry, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Department of Biostatistics, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.

Abstract

Introduction: We tested the hypothesis that brain arterial dilatation increases the risk of Alzheimer's dementia (AD).

Methods: We studied dementia-free participants in the Washington Heights-Inwood Columbia Aging Project who had a brain MRI and post-MRI dementia adjudication. We measured the axial T2-proton density diameters of the intracranial carotids and basilar diameters and used Cox models to obtain AD hazard ratios and 95% intervals.

Results: Of 953 participants (mean age 77 ± 7 y, women 64%, 71% nonwhite) followed on average for 3 ± 3 years, 76 (8%) developed AD. In a model adjusted for demographics, vascular risks, apolipoprotein E (APOE)-ε4, and white matter hyperintensities, larger carotid diameters increased the risk of AD, defined categorically as ≥ 90th percentile (HR 4.34, 1.70-11.11) or continuously (HR 1.44 per SD, 1.07-1.94).

Discussion: Understanding the pathophysiology of the association between AD and brain arterial dilatation may reveal new clues to the vascular contributions to AD.

Keywords: Alzheimer's disease; Brain arterial diameters; Brain arterial dilatation; Carotid artery; Dementia; Dolichoectasia.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

Aged
Alzheimer Disease / blood
Alzheimer Disease / diagnostic imaging*
Alzheimer Disease / physiopathology*
Brain / blood supply
Brain / diagnostic imaging*
Carotid Arteries* / diagnostic imaging
Carotid Arteries* / physiopathology
Cerebral Arteries* / diagnostic imaging
Cerebral Arteries* / physiopathology
Dilatation, Pathologic / diagnostic imaging*
Female
Humans
Longitudinal Studies
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Male
Risk Factors

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

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