The main theme for Rannveig Sakshaug Eldholm‘s PhD thesis is the impact of vascular comorbidities on disease progression and clinical profile in Alzheimer’s disease.

MAIN RESULTS:

1. Cardiovascular risk factors are prevalent in Alzheimer’s disease
2. Cardiovascular risk factors do not impact progression in Alzheimer’s disease.

THESIS DEFENCE:

Thesis: Alzheimer’s Disease – The Impact of Vascular Comorbidity on Disease Progression and Clinical Profile
Candidate: Rannveig Sakshaug Eldholm
Time: March 21, 2019 at 12:15
Place: St. Olavs Hospital, Medical Technical Research Center: Auditorium MTA
Link to university website (in Norwegian)

SUMMARY:

(2) Among 282 Alzheimer’s disease patients, 83 % had hypertension, 53 % hypercholesterolemia, 41 % were overweight, 10 % were smokers and 9 % had diabetes. The cardiovascular risk factors, however, did not associate with Alzheimer’s disease progression over the next two years. The study includes patients from three Norwegian memory clinics.

(1/3) One of the other articles in the thesis show that cognitive test results at baseline are predictors of progression rate, and that progression rate varies considerable among patients with Alzheimer’s disease. Eldholm and co-workers also found no difference in disease symptoms between Alzheimer’s disease patients with and without cerebrovascular disease.

REFERENCES:

(1) Eldholm, R. S., Barca, M. L., Persson, K., Knapskog, A. B., Kersten, H., Engedal, K., Selbæk, G., Brækhus, A:, Skovlund, E., & Saltvedt, I. (2018). Progression of Alzheimer’s disease: a longitudinal study in Norwegian memory clinics. Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, (Preprint), 1-12.

(2) Eldholm, R. S., Persson, K., Barca, M. L., Knapskog, A. B., Cavallin, L., Engedal, K., .Selbæk, G., Skovlund, E., & Saltvedt, I. (2018). Association between vascular comorbidity and progression of Alzheimer’s disease: a two-year observational study in Norwegian memory clinics. BMC geriatrics, 18(1), 120.