Contribution of Vascular Risk Factors to the Progression in Alzheimer Disease

Abstract

Few treatment options are available to improve the prognosis in patients with Alzheimer disease (AD). Controlling vascular conditions may be one way of delaying the disease course. Vascular risk factors and vascular disease are associated with higher risk of vascular dementia^1,2 and AD.^3,4 Members of our group previously reported associations between stroke,⁵ hyperinsulinemia,⁶ diabetes mellitus,⁷ current smoking,⁸ and hypertension⁹ and higher risk of AD. We found that high total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) concentrations are related to increased risk of vascular dementia^10,11 but not AD.