Scientists establish link between Alzheimer’s and heart diseases

BBC News- Scientists have discovered how heart disease or a stroke may trigger Alzheimer's disease.
Both conditions lead to a reduction of oxygen flow to the brain.
A University of British Columbia team, studying mice, found this stimulates increased development of the protein clumps thought to cause Alzheimer's.
The lack of oxygen increases activity in a gene controlling production of the key protein, found the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences study.
This protein, beta amyloid, collects in knots in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease, and is thought to cause damage to the brain cells.
The gene identified in the latest study, BACE1, is responsible for regulating the maturation of beta amyloid.
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