Aorto-vascular disease and dementia study (AVAD) - Version 1.1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Investigating the relationship between aorto-vascular disease and dementia (AVAD)
IRAS ID
348740
Contact name
Jeremy Johnson
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
King's College London
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 5 months, 26 days
Research summary
Age-related blood vessel changes (vascular aging) are associated with higher risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, and dementia. Together these diseases make up over 70% of all causes of death in the UK. Recent research suggests that vascular aging in the brain and the blood vessels may occur before Alzheimer’s develops, but to date, no systematic analyses of the relationship between vascular ageing, brain function and Alzheimer’s has been performed.
To address this, our pilot study will analyse markers of vascular aging in tissue donated by patients undergoing elective surgery for aortic aneurysm repair and see how they predict markers of brain health and Alzheimer’s. These will be assessed at the hospital prior to surgery with cognitive testing, brain imaging (MRI), and the measurement of established and novel markers of Alzheimer’s disease in the blood and cerebrospinal fluid. The data will form the basis of a larger future study to better understand the connection between vascular aging and dementia, including the prospects for novel approaches to their prevention, diagnosis and treatment.
Patients will be identified via the vascular clinic at King’s College Hospital and follow standard consenting procedures. We aim to recruit a total of 20 patients over 18 months. The project will be funded by a charity grant from the Aortic Centre Trust.REC name
West Midlands - Solihull Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
25/WM/0183
Date of REC Opinion
31 Oct 2025
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion