AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - New research data show that Alzheimer‘s disease may be tied to vascular disorders, including high blood pressure and heart disease, findings presented at a major international conference on the disease show. „Two years ago nobody thought there was a relationship between Alzheimer‘s and vascular disease,“ Dr. Ingmar Skoog told the 6th International Conference on Alzheimer‘s in Amsterdam. But Skoog, of Sweden‘s Gothenburg University, said that several studies had since been mounted into a possible link. Several vascular risk factors may have ties to the disease. These include hypertension, coronary heart disease, atrial fibrillation (where the heart overworks and beats irregularly) diabetes mellitis, irregular blood pressure pattern and generalised atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries). Skoog‘s study indicates that people suffering from high blood pressure stand a greater chance of developing Alzheimer‘s disease after several years. However, blood pressure typically drops with the onset of Alzheimer‘s. Dr. Monique Breteler of Erasmus University in Rotterdam said studies conducted there showed that diabetes tripled the risk factor for Alzheimer‘s, atrial fibrillation doubled the risk and smoking more than doubled the risk. But despite the apparent link between vascular problems and Alzheimer‘s, the nature of the relationship remained unclear. A blood-brain barrier dysfunction could be caused by vascular disease, which may increase the chances of toxic substances reaching the brain. Because of that, damage to neurons (brain cells) could occur, which leads to the irreversible damage of Alzheimer‘s. But so far only long-term studies of at least 10 to 15 years have shown a correlation between the two different disorders. Shorter-term studies of less than five years have not indicated a relationship. Alzheimer‘s disease is a progressive, degenerative disease that attacks the brain, causing memory, cognitive and behavioral disfunctions. Age is the greatest risk factor, with about five percent of people over 65 suffering from Alzheimers, while nearly half of those over 85 suffer from it. An estimated four million people in the U.S. suffer from Alzheimer‘s.