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Structural brain alterations in heart failure: a review of the literature and implications for risk of Alzheimer’s disease

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Abstract

Cardiovascular disease is a recognized contributor to the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Heart failure (HF) is a cardiovascular subtype that can be used to model the contribution of cardiovascular disease to AD. Neuroimaging research indicates that HF patients exhibit a diverse range of structural brain alterations and epidemiological studies suggest HF may be an important risk factor for AD. The neural alterations observed in HF may overlap with those observed in AD and contribute to increased risk of AD in HF patients. To examine this possibility, we reviewed structural MRI studies in persons with HF. We examined subcortical brain regions affected in the early stages of AD (medial temporal lobes), as well as cortical alterations that typically occur in the later stages of AD. Our review indicates that patients with HF exhibit greater neural atrophy and white matter microstructural alterations of nearly every region of the Papez circuit (e.g., hippocampus, cingulate gyrus, thalamus, mammillary bodies, and fornix), as well-significant alterations in cortical and cerebellar regions. Based on animal research and past work in AD patients, the mechanisms for structural brain changes in HF may stem from reductions in cerebral blood flow subsequent to cardiac deficiency. This review supports the hypothesis that HF may contribute to AD risk via widespread structural brain changes, including many of the same regions affected by AD. Case-controlled prospective neuroimaging studies with long-term follow-ups are needed to clarify the risk of AD in HF and elucidate the neural underpinnings of AD risk in HF.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Department of Veterans Affairs, Rehabilitation Research & Development Service [Career Development Award e7822w awarded to SMH]. The contents of this article do not represent the views of the US Department of Veterans Affairs or the US Government.

Conflict of interest

Michael L. Alosco and Scott M. Hayes have no conflicts of interest or financial ties to disclose. The manuscript does not contain clinical studies or patient data.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Memory Disorders Research Center, VA Boston Healthcare System and Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA

    Michael L. Alosco & Scott M. Hayes

  2. Department of Psychological Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH, USA

    Michael L. Alosco

  3. Neuroimaging Research for Veterans Center, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA

    Scott M. Hayes

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  1. Michael L. Alosco
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Correspondence to Michael L. Alosco.

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Alosco, M.L., Hayes, S.M. Structural brain alterations in heart failure: a review of the literature and implications for risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Heart Fail Rev 20, 561–571 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10741-015-9488-5

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