These scans are sometimes comparatively speedy and easy to do, much less intrusive, extra reasonably priced, and expose sufferers to far much less radiation than X-rays or CT scans.
Long-term analysis has proven {that a} routine bone density scan may additionally detect calcified plaque build-up within the belly aorta, indicating if somebody is extra more likely to develop dementia.
Late-life dementia is changing into extra frequent in adults over the age of 80. A easy and customary scan may establish those that usually tend to have the situation later in life, based on a current long-term research.
When mind cells are harmed by quite a lot of sicknesses, a few of which contain constriction of the blood channels to the mind, late-life dementia begins to develop.
Researchers at Edith Cowan University (ECU) have discovered an vital connection between vascular well being and dementia in previous age. The belly aorta, the largest artery within the physique and the conduit for oxygenated blood from the center to the belly organs and decrease limbs, could develop plaques that may calcify. These plaques are what trigger the connection.
This calcium buildup, known as “abdominal aortic calcification” or AAC, could be very useful in predicting the danger of cardiovascular ailments together with coronary heart assault and stroke. But now, consultants have found it to be a dependable predictor of dementia in previous age.
A bone density scan could doubtlessly present dementia danger in later life.
The worldwide staff, which was led by ECU’s Nutrition and Health Innovation Institute and Centre for Precision Health, included lecturers from Harvard Medical School, the University of Western Australia, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, the Marcus Institute for Aging Research, Hebrew SeniorLife, and the University of Minnesota. They checked out 968 girls’s AAC outcomes from the late 1990s after which monitored their well being over greater than 15 years.
They found that impartial of any cardiovascular or genetic variables, one in two older girls had medium to excessive ranges of AAC and have been twice as more likely to be hospitalized or go away from late-life dementia.
AAC may detect dementia danger earlier in folks’s lives, which might be essential in stopping the sickness, based on Professor Simon Laws, head of the Centre for Precision Health.
“There’s an adage in dementia research that what’s good for your heart is good for your brain,” he mentioned.
“This study reaffirms this link and further adds to our understanding of late-onset dementia risk and potential preventative strategies. What’s come to light is the importance of modifying risk factors such as diet and physical activity in preventing dementia: you need to intervene early and hopefully this study allows for the earliest possible change and the greatest impact.”
He continues, “AAC is vital because it was capable of establish dementia danger in individuals who don’t have the key genetic danger issue current in 50% of people that develop Alzheimer’s disease, which is the most common form of dementia.”
A simple test
Conveniently, AAC can be easily detected using lateral spine scans from bone density machines. These machines are common, with some 600,000 bone density tests performed each year in Australia to screen for osteoporosis.
ECU Associate Professor and National Heart Foundation Future Leader Fellow Joshua Lewis said an additional scan capturing lateral spine images can be performed when people undergo standard bone density tests.
“It’s generally very quick and easy to capture these scans and they are less invasive, cheaper, and minuscule in radiation exposure compared to X-rays or CT scans,” Professor Lewis said.
“We know the causes of AAC go beyond traditional cardiovascular risk factors and many of these causes overlap with late-life dementia risk factors. At ECU we’re also working with the computer science team to automate the AAC assessments, which will make the process a lot quicker and easier rather than needing a trained imaging expert to read the scans. It means these scans may be a cheap, rapid, and safe way to screen a large number of susceptible older Australians for higher late-life dementia risk.”
Professor Lewis said incorporating dementia risk into discussions surrounding cardiovascular health could see people make necessary lifestyle changes. “I think the next step is telling people about their AAC and late-life dementia risk to see if this can motivate healthy diet and lifestyle behavior changes.”
Heart Foundation chief medical adviser, Professor Garry Jennings AO, welcomed the research.
“Vascular dementia is an increasingly common disability in older people,” Professor Jennings said.
“It is often associated with heart disease or risk factors such as hypertension earlier in life. Josh’s study is an excellent example of benefits arising from the Heart Foundation’s Future Leadership funding program.”
Reference: “Abdominal aortic calcification on lateral spine images captured during bone density testing and late-life dementia risk in older women: A prospective cohort study” by Tenielle Porter, Marc Sim, Richard L. Prince, John T. Schousboe, Catherine Bondonno, Wai H. Lim, Kun Zhu, Douglas P. Kiel, Jonathan M. Hodgson, Simon M. Laws and Joshua R. Lewis, 26 June 2022, The Lancet Regional Health – Western Pacific.
DOI: 10.1016/j.lanwpc.2022.100502
