A recent study has found that genes for heart disease and Alzheimer’s disease may be linked. The study was published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences and was carried out by researchers at Edith Cowan University’s (ECU) Centre for Precision Health. Researchers said evidence increasingly mounts that people with heart disease have a 26 per cent higher risk of cognitive decline and dementia.

The National Institutes of Health says, “Alzheimer’s disease is a brain disorder that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills and eventually the ability to perform even the simplest tasks. Most people with the disease—including those with late-onset—first develop symptoms in their mid-60s. Early-onset Alzheimer’s occurs between ages 30 and 60 and is very rare. Alzheimer’s is the most common cause of dementia in older adults.”

On the other hand, heart diseases are conditions that affect the heart. These include blood vessel diseases such as coronary artery disease, irregular heartbeats called arrhythmias, heart conditions you are born with called congenital heart defects, heart muscle disease, and heart valve disease.

Researchers at Edith Cowan University in Australia said abnormal levels of fats in the blood and inflammation may be potential shared risk factors between the development of coronary artery disease and stroke. alzheimer’s diseaseThe processes that underlie this link remain unclear.

For the study, researchers examined complex relationships using genetic methods Heart disease and Alzheimer’s disease. The team decided to study seven factors related to heart disease, such as coronary artery disease and angina, and 13 lipids, including cholesterol, which is both ‘good’ and ‘bad’. He said previous studies have long suggested that lipids play a role in the development of Alzheimer’s disease.

“Our comprehensive analysis reveals a significant and positive global genetic correlation between Alzheimer’s disease and three lipid traits: LDL (‘bad’ cholesterol), triglycerides, and total cholesterol,” the study authors wrote.

They said this suggests that some lipids, not all, may have a more direct genetic link with Alzheimer’s disease. However, several of the lipids studied by the authors were genetically related to coronary artery disease.

“In particular, we found significant genetic correlations between coronary artery disease traits and lipid profiles such as HDL, LDL, triglycerides, and total cholesterol, which is consistent with existing literature that underscores genetic interplay in cardiovascular risk factors,” the authors wrote.

“By applying genetic approaches to gain a deeper understanding of the relationship between Alzheimer’s disease and coronary artery disease, we have uncovered new insights into the underlying mechanisms linking these conditions,” said corresponding author Emmanuel Adewuyi, from Edith Cowan University.

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