How do cardiovascular conditions and changes in blood pressure affect the onset and presentation of symptoms of neurodegenerative diseases?

Cardiovascular dysfunction—particularly hypertension, vascular instability, and blood pressure variability—has emerged as a significant contributor to the onset and early symptom expression of neurodegenerative diseases. To better understand this relationship, we conducted a bibliometric analysis of the 100 most-cited publications listed in the Web of Science database that examine cardiovascular-neurological connections. Using tools such as RStudio, BiblioShiny, Excel, and Google Sheets, we evaluated publication trends, authorship networks, methodological approaches, and thematic patterns across the works. Our analysis revealed that the research in this field is dominated by review articles, indicating that the discipline is still consolidating foundational evidence rather than relying on large-scale clinical trials. Keywords such as Alzheimer’s, vascular, dementia, neuropathology, and cognitive decline frequently intersect with cardiovascular terms, underlining the strong linkage between vascular health and neurodegenerative risk. Peaks in publication activity in 2014, 2022, and 2024 reflect growing scientific acknowledgment of this connection. Insights across studies highlight how hypertension, impaired cerebral blood flow, brain-blood barrier disruption, and systematic inflammation could accelerate neural vulnerability and cognitive decline. Together, these findings emphasize that cardiovascular conditions are both comorbidities and active drivers of neurodegenerative processes. Integrating vascular health management, nutritional strategies, and targeted inflammation interventions may offer promising future roads for delaying or modifying early neurodegenerative symptoms.