Vanderbilt Reporter feature on Dr. Angela Jefferson's research linking aortic stiffness with lower cerebral blood flow

Greater aortic stiffness is related to lower cerebral blood flow, especially among individuals with an increased genetic predisposition to Alzheimer’s disease, according to research from Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

The study, published recently in Circulation, supports emerging evidence that arterial stiffness, a hypertension-related factor, may play a role in cognitive decline, said Angela Jefferson, PhD, professor of Neurology and director of the Vanderbilt Memory and Alzheimer’s Center.