BMJ  2006;332 (13 May), doi:10.1136/bmj.332.7550.0-c

Cerebral emboli are linked with Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia

Spontaneous cerebral emboli are significantly associated with both Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia and may be involved in the pathophysiology of both conditions. Purandare and colleagues (p 1119) compared the occurrence of spontaneous cerebral emboli and venous to arterial circulation shunts in 170 patients with dementia (Alzheimer's disease or vascular dementia) and 150 controls. They found significant odds ratios for spontaneous cerebral emboli of 2.70 and 5.36 for Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia, and non-significant odds ratios for venous to arterial circulation shunts. Cerebral emboli may represent a preventable and treatable cause of both types of dementia, say the authors.

Credit: WILL & DENI MCINTYRE/SPL

 

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