New Delhi: A new study has discovered genes that may be linked to heart disease and Alzheimer’s disease, suggesting that both diseases may have similar origins. Researchers said there is growing evidence that people with heart disease have faster cognitive decline and a 26 percent increased risk of dementia, which affects memory and thinking and interferes with daily activities. Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia.
Coronary heart disease is a condition in which blood flow to the heart is restricted due to narrowing of the blood vessels.
Although abnormal blood lipid levels and inflammation may be common risk factors for coronary heart disease and the development of Alzheimer’s, the processes underlying this connection remain unclear, say researchers at Edith Cowan University in Australia.
In this study, they used genetic methods to investigate the complex relationship between heart disease and Alzheimer’s disease.
The team looked at seven factors associated with heart disease, such as coronary artery disease and angina, and 13 lipids, including cholesterol – both “good” and “bad.” Previous studies have long suggested that lipids play a role in the development of Alzheimer’s disease, they said.
“Our comprehensive analysis shows a significant and positive global genetic correlation between Alzheimer’s disease and three lipid traits: LDL (“bad” cholesterol), triglycerides and total cholesterol,” the authors wrote in the study published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences.
This suggests that certain, but not all, lipids may have a more direct genetic link to Alzheimer’s disease, they said.
However, many of the lipids studied by the authors were genetically associated with coronary heart disease.
“In particular, we found significant genetic associations between coronary heart disease features and lipid profiles such as HDL, LDL, triglycerides and total cholesterol. This is consistent with the existing literature highlighting genetic interplay in cardiovascular risk factors,” they wrote.
“By applying genetic approaches to gain a deeper understanding of the relationship between Alzheimer’s disease and coronary heart disease, we have gained new insights into the underlying mechanisms that link these diseases,” said corresponding author Emmanuel Adewuyi of Edith Cowan University.
