"These findings suggest that abnormal central vascular hemodynamics may contribute to higher tau burden in brain regions that are vulnerable to early tau deposition," they write in JAMA Neurology.
"Aortic stiffness is potentially modifiable and, therefore, represents a probable independent target for prevention of tau-related pathologies," they add.
The findings are based on 257 adults from the Framingham Third Generation cohort. The cohort had a mean age of 54, 49% were women and all were of white Western European race.
In multivariable models, higher measures of aortic stiffness and pulse pressure correlated significantly with greater tau burden in the entorhinal and rhinal cortices, particularly among adults aged 60 and older, report Dr. Leroy Cooper with Vassar College, in Poughkeepsie, New York, and colleagues.
Associations for tau outcomes among older adults remained significant after adjusting for beta-amyloid burden.
No significant associations were evident between measures of aortic stiffness and pressure pulsatility with global beta-amyloid burden.
"Our findings provide further evidence that upstream arterial dysfunction and elevated pressure pulsatility may contribute to nascent neuronal toxicity associated with greater tau protein deposition," the study team writes.
"Elevated aortic stiffness and pressure pulsatility may contribute to higher tau protein levels through mechanisms that involve elevated cerebrovascular resistance (CVR) and chronic hypoperfusion of gray matter in specific brain regions," they add.
The study had no commercial funding.
SOURCE: https://bit.ly/3xaqRiv JAMA Neurology, online June 6, 2022.
By Reuters Staff
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