IMR Press / FBL / Volume 13 / Issue 6 / DOI: 10.2741/2839

Frontiers in Bioscience-Landmark (FBL) is published by IMR Press from Volume 26 Issue 5 (2021). Previous articles were published by another publisher on a subscription basis, and they are hosted by IMR Press on imrpress.com as a courtesy and upon agreement with Frontiers in Bioscience.

Article
The renin-angiotensin system, hypertension and cognitive dysfunction in Alzheimer's disease: new therapeutic potential
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1 Division of Clinical Gene Therapy, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Yamada-oka, Suita, Japan
2 Osaka General Medical Center, Osaka Prefectural Hospital Organization, Bandai-higashi, Sumiyoshi, Osaka, Japan

*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

 

Front. Biosci. (Landmark Ed) 2008, 13(6), 2253–2265; https://doi.org/10.2741/2839
Published: 1 January 2008
Abstract

Alzheimer's disease, which is the most common cause of dementia, is traditionally thought to be a neurodegenerative disorder and not of vascular origin. However, there is a growing body of evidence suggesting an association between vascular risk factors and Alzheimer's disease. Several epidemiological studies have shown that high mid-life blood pressure is related to the development of Alzheimer's disease in later life. Furthermore, the use of some kinds of antihypertensive medication has been suggested to reduce the incidence of dementia including Alzheimer's disease. Recent findings indicate that the brain has its own renin-angiotensin system, which mediates several physiological and pathological brain functions. The neurobiological links between the renin-angiotensin system and Alzheimer's disease have been investigated and become a source of interest in the pathogenesis of the disease. This review describes the relation between the renin-angiotensin system, hypertension and Alzheimer's disease, and also discusses the potential use of antihypertensive drugs acting via the renin-angiotensin system in the treatment and prevention of the disease.

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