Key cause of restricted blood flow to the brain in vascular dementia discovered скачать в хорошем качестве

Key cause of restricted blood flow to the brain in vascular dementia discovered

Professor Adam Greenstein and his team at University of Manchester have uncovered a potential route to developing much-needed new treatments for vascular dementia. High blood pressure is a main cause of vascular dementia, a condition characterised by poor blood flow to the brain. The reduced blood supply starves brain cells of oxygen and nutrients and over time they can become damaged and die. Symptoms of vascular dementia include loss of energy, lack of concentration and poor memory. It's normal for the brain’s arteries to narrow and widen in response to changes in blood pressure. However, consistently high blood pressure causes arteries to stay narrow and restrict the brain’s blood supply. Until now, it was not known how. Funded by British Heart Foundation (BHF), the study led by Dr Harry Pritchard has revealed that high blood pressure disrupts messaging within artery cells in the brain, causing them to remain permanently constricted. This limits blood flow and over time can lead to the progression of vascular dementia. Professor Greenstein and his team are now investigating drugs that, in the lab, appear to restore signalling between these cells to improve blood supply to affected areas of the brain. They hope that this could pave the way for the first ever drug treatment for vascular dementia. This BHF-funded research project was shortlisted for Research Story of the Year as part the BHF Heart Hero Awards 2024. All information in this video was correct at the time of publishing. For more information about the BHF Heart Hero Awards, visit https://www.bhf.org.uk/heartheroes If you’ve been inspired by this research project and would like to help fund our lifesaving science, then please visit https://www.bhf.org.uk/hhadonate