New link between heart health and Alzheimer’s identified

Older people with poor cardiovascular health may be at greater risk of contracting Alzheimer's disease, according to a new study.

A team led by the University of Pittsburgh assessed 91 dementia-free patients with an average age of 87, taking scans of the participants' brains to measure any plaques in the brain, before assessing any stiffness in their arteries about two years later.

Half of all participants were found to have beta-amyloid plaques in their brain – a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease – and it was also discovered that these patients were more likely to have high systolic blood pressure, higher average blood pressure and higher arterial stiffness.

Dr Timothy Hughes of the University of Pittsburgh said: "This study adds to growing evidence that hardening of the arteries is associated with cerebrovascular disease that does not show symptoms. Now we can add Alzheimer's type lesions to the list."

Dementia affects around 650,000 people in England at present, a proportion that is likely to increase as the average age of the population rises over the coming years.