Brain Aging, Inflammation and Cardiovascular Health: Insights from a society in South America

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Aging-related brain atrophy is associated with risk for cognitive impairment, functional decline, and dementia relative to lifestyle factors including diet, smoking and physical activity. Prevention studies indicate that brain atrophy is associated with vascular disease risk factors like high cholesterol, smoking, diabetes, and hypertension, which are widespread in modern, industrialized populations. Here we describe the Tsimané people of South America, a highly unique population who have a subsistence lifestyle paralleled by uniquely low cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. The epidemiological relationships between brain atrophy, systemic inflammation and CVD risk are explored, particularly relative to longevity, cognitive decline and healthspan.

Speaker Bio: Andrei Irimia, PhD is Assistant Professor of Gerontology, Biomedical Engineering and Neuroscience at the University of Southern California. His laboratory in the Ethel Percy Andrus Gerontology Center uses brain imaging and computational techniques to study the relationship between aging trajectories, brain trauma and neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD). His focus includes the vascular dimension of neural degradation and cognitive decline, and in the interaction between cardiovascular health and brain atrophy. He is particularly interested in unique populations with atypical aging profiles, such as the Tsimane people of the Bolivian Amazon, who experience low rates of cardio- and neuro- vascular disease despite a high systemic burden of inflammation.