Measuring Gene Expression Changes in the Brain as a Result of Heart Failure

Heart failure causes harm to the brain by reducing the supply of blood, and thus the supply vital nutrients and oxygen, to brain cells. The precise details of how this leads to cognitive decline are yet to be fully mapped. Researchers here assess changes in gene expression the brains of mice suffering from heart failure, as a starting point for further investigation of specific mechanisms. The best path forward for this class of contribution to neurodegenerative conditions is to prevent or reverse vascular aging, which has numerous components. There is the narrowing of blood vessels via atherosclerosis; the failure of smooth muscle tissue to appropriately contract and dilate blood vessels, due to cellular senescence, chronic inflammation, and other mechanisms of aging; stiffening of blood vessels via cross-linking in the extracellular matrix; and so forth. In heart failure, the heart muscle is too weak to pump enough blood through the body and is therefore abnormally enlarged. Physical fitness and quality of life suffer as a result. Moreover, affected individuals have an increased risk of developing dementia. "People with cardiological problems and heart failure in particular may experience noticeable cognitive deficits and increased risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. Possible reasons include impaired blood supply to the brain and dysfunction of the hippocampus, which is the memory's control center. Yet, there is a lack of therapies to effectively treat cogniti...
Source: Fight Aging! - Category: Research Authors: Tags: Daily News Source Type: blogs