Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy

Older man with hand over his heart smiling at doctor

Why Choose Ochsner for Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy?

At Ochsner, we have a special clinic just for people with Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy (CAA). Our team of healthcare providers is dedicated to helping you and your family. We have experts who understand the blood vessels in your brain and specialists who assist with memory and thinking problems. Using the latest tools, we figure out what's happening and find the best ways to help. We also offer new treatments through clinical trials, always searching for better ways to treat CAA. At Ochsner, you will receive care and support tailored just for you.

Email our clinic at caa@ochsner.org for a consultation.

What is Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy (CAA)?

CAA is a condition where a sticky substance called amyloid-beta builds up in the small blood vessels in your brain over many years. This build-up weakens the blood vessels, making them leaky and causing small bleeds in the brain that you might not notice. Over time, these small bleeds and changes can lead to memory and thinking problems. Sometimes, a blood vessel might burst, causing a bigger bleed and more serious symptoms like a stroke.

Memory Problems: Difficulty remembering things and thinking clearly.
Stroke Symptoms: Sudden trouble moving or feeling one side of the body, slurred speech, trouble seeing, or loss of balance. These are usually due to a large bleed in the brain.
Short Episodes: Brief periods of numbness, tingling, or weakness on one side of the body that usually go away within 30 minutes but can last a few hours. These are called Transient Focal Neurological Episodes (TFNE) or “Amyloid Spells”.
Inflammatory CAA: Big changes in thinking or behavior, seizures, or new headaches due to brain swelling from the body’s immune response to the disease.

Doctors use several methods to diagnose CAA in addition to your clinical symptoms:

MRI Scans: Pictures of the brain to look for signs of the disease.
Spinal Fluid Tests: Testing the fluid around the brain and spine can help with diagnosis.
Special Brain Scans: PET Scans to detect amyloid-beta in the brain.
Genetic Testing: Checking for specific genes that may be related to CAA.

There is no cure yet for CAA, but treatments focus on managing symptoms and reducing risks:

Avoiding Unnecessary Blood Thinners: To lower the risk of brain bleeds.
Blood Pressure Control: Keeping blood pressure stable to prevent complications. At Ochsner we use our digital blood pressure monitoring platform to get you to goal faster and keep you there.
Healthy Lifestyle: Eating a healthy diet, not smoking, and regular exercise to maintain healthy blood vessels.
Medications: Some medicines can help with memory and thinking problems. New and existing drugs are being studied for their potential benefits in CAA.
Immunosuppressive Therapy: Using steroids or other drugs to reduce brain swelling in inflammatory CAA.

Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy (CAA) is often found with other brain diseases, especially Alzheimer's Disease. The amyloid-beta protein, which is also involved in Alzheimer's, acts differently depending on the condition. In CAA, amyloid-beta blocks and weakens the blood vessels, similar to how rust corrodes pipes, stopping the flow of nutrients and blood to the brain. In Alzheimer's, this "rust" invades the brain tissue itself. There is a big overlap between these two conditions. In fact, up to 80% of people with Alzheimer's Disease also have CAA when looked at under a microscope.

People with CAA have a higher risk of brain bleeds compared to other causes, with about an 8% chance of another bleed each year. This is almost four times more than someone with a brain bleed caused by high blood pressure alone. The risk of recurrence over five years is about 40-50%.

The progression of CAA varies greatly among individuals, making it difficult to determine life expectancy. Some people may have mild symptoms for many years, while others may experience severe problems sooner. Some may have stable periods followed by progressive phases with multiple hospitalizations. It's crucial to have a good care team to manage the disease and support patients in identifying progression when it happens.

Our clinic is here to help you with any questions or support you need!

You can email caa@ochsner.org for a consultation.