AI Tool Reveals Link Between Blood Vessel Health & Brain Aging

With dementia cases projected to rise globally due to an aging population, this research underscores the role of prevention in reducing cognitive decline.

AI-powered brain imaging has revealed that the pace of brain aging is influenced by factors affecting blood vessel health, such as inflammation and high glucose levels, as well as lifestyle choices.

Researchers from Sweden's Karolinska Institutet have found that these factors can make the brain appear biologically older or younger, offering new insights into combating age-related cognitive decline and dementia.

Factors such as inflammation, high glucose levels, and conditions like diabetes and stroke were linked to older-looking brains, while healthy lifestyles were associated with younger-looking ones.

The study, published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association, highlights the importance of vascular health in maintaining brain resilience.

With dementia cases projected to rise globally due to an aging population, this research underscores the role of prevention in reducing cognitive decline.

“Despite new Alzheimer’s drugs, they won’t work for everyone with dementia. We want to study what boosts the brain’s resilience against pathological aging processes,” said Anna Marseglia, lead author of the study.

AI Tool Estimates Brain Age

The study involved 739 MRI scans of cognitively healthy individuals, 389 of whom were women.

Using an AI-based algorithm, researchers estimated the brain age of participants, with an average biological brain age of 71 years across both sexes.

Blood samples were also analyzed to measure lipids, glucose levels, and inflammation, while cognitive test scores and lifestyle habits were evaluated.

Researchers identified a "brain age gap" by comparing the estimated biological brain age with participants’ chronological age.

Findings revealed that conditions affecting blood vessel health, including diabetes and stroke, were linked to an older brain age, whereas regular physical activity and stable blood glucose levels were associated with younger-looking brains.

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