Atherosclerosis and Alzheimer’s Disease Interconnection: Inflammation, Aβ and More

Abstract

Despite being the leading cause of CVD and cardiovascular mortality globally, Atherosclerosis (ATH) remains underdiagnosed and undertreated. The reasons behind Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) also remain unclear and there is currently no cure for it. At present, at least 55 million people are believed to be suffering from the disorder and the figures are expected to grow. At the same time, multiple data suggest that the most common risk factors for both conditions interfere and that timely risk management and effective prevention strategies could allow a significant reduction in the prevalence of the disorders, which indicates a need for more research on mechanisms underlying the conditions as well as their interconnection. In this review, the interplay between ATH and AD will be examined. We will look into both the modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors the diseases have in common. Since both disorders have complex pathophysiology, we will summarize the recent data on how associated processes in atherosclerosis affect the development of Alzheimer’s disease and vice versa