A study conducted by UGR links cardioregulatory capacity with cognitive capacity
This regulation comprises all the events that enable the body to supply the correct blood-flow to the organs, including the brain
Factors such as obesity or certain metabolic diseases may be behind the worsening of cardiovascular regulation
A research team from the University of Granada (UGR) has linked the worsening of cardiovascular regulation—a typical feature of the ageing process—to the onset of dementia. This regulation comprises all the events that enable the body to supply the correct blood-flow to the person’s organs, including the brain.
In a series of cognitive tests, the researchers discovered that the people who achieved the worst results also struggled to maintain correct cardiovascular regulation, “which could be the prelude to the future onset of dementia,” explains Juan José Ramos Rodríguez, a lecturer at the UGR’s Department of Physiology, Faculty of Health Sciences (Ceuta Campus), and principal investigator of this study, which also involved Nursing undergraduate Himan Mohamed Mohamed.
The study, in line with previous findings from the literature, affirmed that older people can suffer orthostatic hypotension, which is a sudden drop in the blood supply to the brain when the person changes position. When this happens—for example, when they switch from a sitting position to standing up—they experience dizziness and a momentary loss of consciousness, both of which become increasingly common as the ageing process progresses.
“It appears that this cerebral hypotension operates as a risk factor, further down the line, in terms of the likelihood of suffering dementia”, explains Juan José Ramos. Underlying this worsening of cardiovascular regulation may be factors such as obesity or certain metabolic diseases, according to the study.
In the future, the UGR team intends to study the possible relationship between the deterioration of cardiovascular regulation and the onset of Alzheimer’s disease.
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Media enquiries:
Juan Jose Ramos Rodriguez
Department of Physiology
Faculty of Health Sciences (Ceuta Campus),
University of Granada
Email: juanjoseramos@ugr.es
