Biracial differences in the relation between systemic vascular health and
neuropathological markers of cerebrovascular and Alzheimer's disease
 
   Lead Investigator:    Jeannine Skinner
   Institution      :    Vanderbilt Memory and Alzheimer Center
   E-Mail           :    jeannine.s.skinner@vanderbilt.edu
   Proposal ID      :    388



   Proposal Description:
   Studies show African American elders have higher rates of vascular-type dementia (VaD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) than Caucasians elders. One explanation for this disparity is that African American elders have a higher prevalence of cardiovascular disease risk factors than Caucasians.              Cardiovascular disease risk factors are well-established predictors of dementia. The few studies that have examined ethnoracial differences in cerebrovascular disease and AD neuropathology have yielded mixed finding, thus suggesting that it remains unclear whether higher rates of cardiovascular disease risk factors is associated with cardinal neuropathological markers of cerebrovascular disease and AD. We seek to advance the available knowledge on this topic by using a matched designed study to examine racial differences in the association between a global marker of systemic vascular health and         cerebrovascular disease and AD neuropathology burden.