Underdiagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease pathology in patients with cardiovascular disease

Presenter Details

In collaboration with "Nature Portfolio" webcasts: “Underdiagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease pathology in patients with cardiovascular disease”

Craig Weinkauf, MD, PhD
Associate Professor, Surgery
Principle Investigator, The Weinkauf Lab

The ongoing Carotids and Minds (CAM) study enrolls community-dwelling patients 50 to 85 years of age with at least two cardiovascular risk factors with and without carotid atherosclerosis to better understand how asymptomatic carotid disease contributes to cognitive impairment and dementia. The study excludes participants with clinical diagnoses of dementia, recent stroke and other neurological diseases.

This webcast will present the surprising finding, in initial cross-sectional analyses, that 30% of participants with no clinical diagnosis of cognitive impairment or dementia had cognitive deficits and roughly 55% had pTau217 levels indicative of Alzheimer’s disease brain pathology. These data demonstrate that there is a large amount of undiagnosed cognitive impairment and dementia in the vascular population.

The session will also address whether and how carotid stenosis is associated with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) risk. This will include specificity of cognitive deficits, structural brain changes and blood biomarkers. Overall, this work challenges clinical dogma, raising the possibility that carotid stenosis is a modifiable risk factor for ADRD.

Learn about:

• The prevalence of undiagnosed cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s pathology in patients with asymptomatic vascular disease
• The relationship between plasma pTau217 levels and cognitive performance in vascular patients
• Why brain health screening should be considered in vascular care and how might it influence future clinical guidelines and treatment strategies