Scientists from Johns Hopkins University found that people who show signs of inflammation in middle age are more likely to suffer from brain shrinkage later in life, a possible precursor to dementia or Alzheimer’s disease.
The findings uncover an association between dementia and inflammation.
The research is published in the journal Neurology and was conducted by Keenan Walker et al.
In the study, the team examined 1,633 people with an average age of 53.
They tested their blood for levels of five markers of inflammation—not in any specific part of the body but rather throughout it—including the white blood cell count.
An average of 24 years later, these participants took a memory test and underwent brain scans.
The team found those who had higher levels of inflammation at midlife on three or more biomarkers had an average 5% lower brain volume in the hippocampus and other areas linked to Alzheimer’s disease.
The effect was similar to having one copy of a gene—called apolipoprotein E (APOE) e4—that predisposes people to Alzheimer’s.
The researchers also found people with higher inflammation also performed slightly worse on a memory test, remembering on average five of 10 words they were asked to recall, compared to 5.5 in the non-inflammation group.
These results suggest that inflammation in mid-life may be an early contributor to the brain changes that are associated with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.
The study points to inflammation as a potential early indicator of later brain degeneration, but it is hard to say whether inflammation could be causing brain shrinkage or if it is a response to other damaging processes that might already be underway.
The findings are in line with a growing body of research that points to inflammation and problems with the immune system playing a role in the development of dementia.
They highlight the importance of taking care of cognitive health throughout life, particularly in middle age.
This includes eating a healthy balanced diet, taking regular exercise and managing conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure.
If you care about inflammation, please read studies about the cause of inflammation and clotting in severe COVID-19, and how avocados can help reduce inflammation.
For more information about inflammation, please see recent studies about hormone that could help reduce irregular heartbeat, inflammation, and results showing this drug for inflammation could help stop cancer metastasis.
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