- Title
- Blood-brain barrier disruption in atrial fibrillation: a potential contributor to the increased risk of dementia and worsening of stroke outcomes?
- Creator
- Aryal, Ritambhara; Patabendige, Adjanie
- Relation
- Open biology Vol. 11, Issue 4, no. 200396
- Publisher Link
- http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsob.200396
- Publisher
- The Royal Society Publishing
- Resource Type
- journal article
- Date
- 2021
- Description
- Atrial fibrillation (AF) has become one of the most significant health problems worldwide, warranting urgent answers to currently pending questions on the effects of AF on brain function. Recent evidence has emerged to show an association between AF and an increased risk of developing dementia and worsening of stroke outcomes. A healthy brain is protected by the blood-brain barrier (BBB), which is formed by the endothelial cells that line cerebral capillaries. These endothelial cells are continuously exposed to shear stress (the frictional force generated by blood flow), which affects endothelial cell structure and function. Flow disturbances as experienced during AF can disrupt the BBB and leave the brain vulnerable to damage. Investigating the plausible mechanisms in detail, linking AF to cerebrovascular damage is difficult in humans, leading to paucity of available clinical data. Here, we discuss the available evidence for BBB disruption during AF due to altered cerebral blood flow, and how this may contribute to an increased risk of dementia and worsening of stroke outcomes.
- Subject
- blood-brain barrier; atrial fibrillation; dementia; cognitive impairment; stroke; cerebral blood flow; SDG 3; Sustainable Development Goals
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/1456342
- Identifier
- uon:45212
- Identifier
- ISSN:2046-2441
- Rights
- © 2021 The Authors. Published by the Royal Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/, which permits unrestricted use, provided the original author and source are credited.
- Language
- eng
- Full Text
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Goal 3: Good Health and Well-Being
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