Vascular disease and cerebral amyloid deposition

The study reported by Hughes et al.¹ has important implications for understanding the relationship between clinical and subclinical systemic vascular disease and in vivo cerebral β-amyloid (Aβ) deposition and brain structure. The authors found that markers of central arterial stiffness were associated with Aβ deposition (heart-carotid pulse wave velocity [PWV]), lower brain volumes (carotid-femoral PWV), and white matter hyperintensities (WMH) (carotid-femoral PWV) in elderly individuals without dementia. In addition, the combination of the high burden of WMH and Aβ positivity was associated with carotid-femoral PWV. These findings confirmed previous observations on the relationship between arterial stiffness and Aβ deposition, and consolidated the notion that there is an association between systemic vascular disease and Aβ deposition.^2–5 In addition, as noted here, these associations occurred in Caucasians as well as in African Americans.