Dementia and Alzheimer's Risk In Females - Another Possible Risk Factor Found

Editor's Choice
Academic Journal
Main Category: Alzheimer's / Dementia
Also Included In: Women's Health / Gynecology
Article Date: 03 Jan 2012 - 9:00 PST


According to a study published Online First by the Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals, a hormone derived from visceral fat called adiponectin may play a role as a risk factor for development of all-cause dementia and Alzheimer disease (AD) in women.

Worldwide, there are currently 36 million people affected by dementia, with numbers estimated to double over the next 20 years, according to background information in the article. The most common type of dementia is Alzheimer's Disease. Researchers state that there is a link between insulin resistance and inflammation, both hallmarks for type-2 diabetes and the development of dementia.

They write:

"An additional potential factor that may contribute to the onset of AD and all-cause dementia is adiponectin. Adiponectin is a hormone derived from visceral fat, which sensitizes the body to insulin, has anti-inflammatory properties, and plays a role in the metabolism of glucose and lipids."

Thomas M. van Himbergen, Ph.D. and team conducted a study in which they measured various factors, including glucose levels, insulin, glycated albumin, C reactive protein, lipoprotein associated phospholipase A2, and adiponectin in the plasma of patients. They had gathered the data from the Framingham Heart Study (1985 to 1988).

They followed up a total of 840 patients for an average of 13 years. 541 were women of an average age of 76 years. All of them were assessed for signs of the development of AD and all-cause dementia. During the follow-up period 159 individuals developed dementia, of which 125 were diagnosed with AD.

After the researchers adjusted for other dementia risk factors, such as age, apoE genotype, low plasma docosahexaenoic acid and weight change, they established that the only link to an increased risk of all-cause dementia and AD was adiponecting in women.

The researchers explain:

"It is well established that insulin signaling is dysfunctional in the brains of patients with AD, and since adiponectin enhances insulin sensitivity, one would also expect beneficial actions protecting against cognitive decline. Our data, however, indicate that elevated adiponectin level was associated with an increased risk of dementia and AD in women.

One of the main features of adiponectin is that it has been shown to play a role in the sensitization of insulin and therefore may become a therapeutic target for the treatment of T2D (type 2 diabetes). Surprisingly, a higher adiponectin level was found to be a predictor of all-cause and vascular mortality. In concurrence with the mortality findings, the current investigation shows that an elevated adiponectin level is also an independent predictor for all-cause dementia and AD in women."

Written by Petra Rattue
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

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