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New Piece of Alzheimer's Puzzle Identified
Dec 2, 2010

Researchers from the Mayo Clinic found that endothelial dysfunction increases production of proteins that provide the raw material for the amyloid plaques seen in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease...

The study may help explain how exercise benefits cardiovascular and brain health. Previous research has shown that exercise can delay or prevent cognitive impairment.

"There is a lot of literature showing that every time you exercise, you stimulate the endothelium to produce more nitric oxide. What we have identified in this paper may help explain the reported (cognitive) benefit of exercise," Katusic said.

More at:
http://tinyurl.com/38ruv88

I have not seen this discussed in other threads so hope I'm not dupplicating info.

Rox

great find, TMRox.

This is the first post on here, Rox. Thanks for mentioning it -I got the full Mayo paper earlier this week. There are a few more coming out, discussing nitric oxide, endothelial dysfunction and neurovascular disease. Lack of NO begins a cascade which impairs and weakens the endothelium (the cellular lining of all our blood vessels which is maintained by NO) and can lead to deposition of plasmic particles into the brain.

the Mayo clinic study is released Dec. 2 in Circulation-
http://www.businessweek.com/lifestyle/c ... 46747.html

This was the idea I started following in '08 with MS...reading the vascular research just made so much sense in what I had seen with Jeff's diagnosis. It's been exciting to see talk with the doctors of the ISNVD regarding the connection in neurovascular disease. To them, it makes sense. The cardiovascular system affects all organs--blood in---blood out. Perfusion occurs throughout our bodies. Why have we been so slow to consider and study it in the brain?

For those who haven't checked out the Endothelial Health program--which stresses diet, nutrition, lifestyle and exercise to enhance and maintain NO--got to www.ccsvi.org under "helping myself."
cheer

Here is another paper out of Austria last week, with related research:
Experimental Gerontology Review-

Abstract
Chronic Mild Cerebrovascular Dysfunction as a cause of Alzheimer's Disease
Dr. Christian Humpel
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive chronic disorder and is characterized by -amyloid plaques and angiopathy, tau pathology, neuronal cell death, and inflammatory responses. The reasons for this disease are not known. This review proposes the hypothesis that a chronic mild long lasting cerebrovascular dysfunction could initiate a cascade of events.
The role of NGF on the cell death of cholinergic neurons is discussed. Additional risk factors (e.g. acidosis, metals) contribute to plaque development. Key words: vascular system, Alzheimer, vascular dementia, hypothesis, cascade leading to AD.
It is suggested that (vascular) risk factors (e.g. hypercholesterolemia, type 2 diabetes, hyperhomocysteinemaia) causes either damage of the cerebrovascular system including silent strokes or causes dysregulation of beta-amyloid clearance at the blood-brain barrier resulting in increased brain beta-amyloid. A cascade of subsequent downstream events may lead to disturbed metabolic changes, and neuroinflammation and tau pathology.

All of this new research into endothelial and cerebrovascular dysfuntion is so exciting. It seems that we are on the cusp of understanding a lot more about various disease processes. Encouraging! Thanks for posting these links TMrox and cheer!