Signs of aging could point to blocked vessels in the brain
Published 4:16pm Saturday, September 24, 2011
Many common signs of aging, such as hands that shake, stooped posture and walking slower, may be due to tiny blocked vessels in the brain that can’t be detected by current technology, according to a study in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association September 2011.
In the study, researchers examined brain autopsies of older people and found:
• Microscopic lesions or infarcts — too small to be detected using brain imaging — were in 30 percent of the brains of people who had no diagnosed brain disease or stroke.
• Those who had the most trouble walking had multiple brain lesions.
• Two-thirds of the people had at least one blood vessel abnormality, suggesting a possible link between the blocked vessels and the familiar signs of aging.
In 1994, the researchers began conducting annual exams of 1,100 older nuns and priests for signs of aging. The participants also donated their brains for examination after death.
This study provides results on the first 418 brain autopsies (61 percent women, average 88 years old at death). Although Parkinson’s disease occurs in only 5 percent of older people, at least half of people 85 and older have mild symptoms associated with the disease.
Before the study, researchers believed that something more common, such as microscopic blocked vessels, might be causing the physical decline.
The study’s autopsies found the small lesions could only be seen under a microscope after participants died. The lesions couldn’t be detected by current scans.
During the annual exams of the nuns and priests, researchers used the motor skills portion of a Parkinson’s disease survey to assess their physical abilities. “Often the mild motor symptoms are considered an expected part of aging,” said Buchman, who is also a member of the Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center.
“We shouldn’t accept this as normal aging. We should try to fix it and understand it. If there is an underlying cause, we can intervene and perhaps lessen the impact.”
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