Science and Medicine

Vascular brain injury from conditions such as hypertension and stroke can have “distinctly negative effects”

Vascular brain injury from conditions such as hypertension and stroke can have “distinctly negative effects” on the ability to solve problem and organize thoughts as we age, experts say.

Bruce Reed, professor of neurology at the University of California, Davis, and colleagues wanted to see if there was a correlation between vascular brain injury from hypertension and stroke and the deposition of beta amyloid plaques, thought to be an early and important marker of Alzheimer’s disease. They also wanted to decipher what effect each has on memory and executive functioning

“The first question was whether those two pathologies correlate to each other, and the simple answer is ‘no.’ Earlier research, conducted in animals, has suggested that having a stroke causes more beta amyloid deposition in the brain,” Reed said. “If that were the case, people who had more vascular brain injury should have higher levels of beta amyloid.

Read more: High Blood Pressure Can Cripple Memory

Existing methods of determining kidney function, such as measuring serum creatinine and urine output, may not indicate changes for several days, allowing time for significant kidney damage to occur.

Two biomarkers can tell a physician if a patient is at risk for acute kidney injury, which affects up to seven percent of all hospitalized patients.

The results, which appear in Critical Care, provide insight into the potentially deadly condition that often affects those in intensive care and can occur after serious infections, surgery, or taking certain medications.

Existing methods of determining kidney function, such as measuring serum creatinine and urine output, may not indicate changes for several days, allowing time for significant kidney damage to occur.

Biomarkers, which are naturally occurring proteins or other molecules in the blood, urine, or other body fluids or tissues, may help physicians more accurately determine the risk of acute kidney injury (AKI) in critically ill patients so that early treatment can minimize progression and save lives.

Read more: Test Could Catch Kidney Damage Sooner