Study finds association between vascular factors and brain shrinkage

Posted on: Wednesday, December 19th, 2018

Tiny blood vessels carry life-sustaining nutrition to the deepest recesses of the brain. How early in life do these small, but essential, tributaries begin to lose their function?

This decline might start in middle age, and a subset of people may be more at risk for it than others, suggests a study published by faculty at three institutions, including the Glenn Biggs Institute for Alzheimer’s and Neurodegenerative Diseases at UT Health San Antonio.

Vascular health is important for brain function. The brain consumes energy and requires a constant supply of blood and oxygen, as well as blood glucose. The research study correlated higher levels of three vascular growth factors with increased small-vessel disease and brain atrophy in middle-aged adults. The study was published in Stroke, the journal of the American Heart Association, in 2018.

To read the full article, visit the UT Health San Antonio Newsroom.

Article Categories: In the News