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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2019 Sep 3.
Published in final edited form as: J Am Coll Cardiol. 2019 Jul 2;73(25):3326–3344. doi: 10.1016/j.jacc.2019.04.034

FIGURE 3. Pathobiology of Neurovascular Dysfunction in Vascular Cognitive Impairment.

FIGURE 3

Modifiable risk factors (hypertension, lifestyle factors, and so on), genetic factors (ApoE, and so on), and aging impair key functions of the neurovascular unit leading to the alterations in brain function underlying cognitive impairment. Notice that the neurovascular unit is involved not only in flow regulation, but also in other vital functions that are essential for maintaining brain health. BBB = blood-brain barrier; CBF = cerebral blood flow; EC = endothelial cell; PVM = perivascular macrophage; SMC = smooth muscle cell.