Cardiovascular disease (which affects the heart and blood vessels) and dementia (a general term for loss of memory, language, problem-solving and other thinking abilities that are severe enough to interfere with daily life) increase with age and account for majority of disability and death in the population. Whether there is a direct relationship between cardiovascular disease and dementia and the mechanisms linking them are not well understood. Changes in structure and function of blood vessels with age may contribute to the development of dementia. Hardening or “stiffening” of blood vessels occurs with older age. Blood vessel stiffening may lead to increased transmission of blood pressure from large arteries to smaller blood vessels found in the brain and damage the brain. Should blood vessel stiffening play a major role in dementia, this would require a major change in strategies aimed at preventing dementia. The purpose of this research project is to firstly validate new measures of blood vessel stiffness and blood pressure changes to predict future death and cardiovascular events. Secondly, we want to understand the relationship between these measures of cardiovascular ageing and brain ageing/dementia using state-of-the art non-invasive imaging available from UK Biobank. Finally, we will try and understand the molecular mechanisms that may underlie the link between cardiovascular and brain ageing changes. This research project will provide detailed understanding of the link between cardiovascular disease and brain ageing, giving an insight into the mechanisms underlying them and potentially identify targets for new treatments that should be tested to prevent these two major causes of disability and death. It is anticipated that the duration of this research project will be three years.
