The pathophysiology of chronic kidney disease may cause or exacerbate Alzheimer's disease, particularly through the renin-angiotensin system, where ACE inhibitors demonstrate protective effects.
Does the renin-angiotensin system link the pathogenesis of chronic kidney disease to Alzheimer's disease, and do ACE inhibitors offer protective effects?
This review highlights the potential role of the renin-angiotensin system in linking chronic kidney disease to Alzheimer's disease, suggesting a protective role for ACE inhibitors.
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a clinical syndrome secondary to the definitive change in function and structure of the kidney, which is characterized by its irreversibility and slow and progressive evolution. Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by the extracellular accumulation of misfolded β-amyloid (Aβ) proteins into senile plaques and the formation of neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) containing hyperphosphorylated tau. In the aging population, CKD and AD are growing problems. CKD patients are prone to cognitive decline and AD. However, the connection between CKD and AD is still unclear. In this review, we take the lead in showing that the development of the pathophysiology of CKD may also cause or exacerbate AD, especially the renin-angiotensin system (RAS). In vivo studies had already shown that the increased expression of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) produces a positive effect in aggravating AD, but ACE inhibitors (ACEIs) have protective effects against AD. Among the possible association of risk factors in CKD and AD, we mainly discuss the RAS in the systemic circulation and the brain.
Ma et al. (Sun,) conducted a review in Chronic Kidney Disease and Alzheimer's Disease. Renin-angiotensin system was evaluated. The pathophysiology of chronic kidney disease may cause or exacerbate Alzheimer's disease, particularly through the renin-angiotensin system, where ACE inhibitors demonstrate protective effects.