Dementia, a debilitating condition affecting millions globally, has various underlying mechanisms that researchers are keen to understand.
Previous studies have suggested that systemic inflammation might contribute to the onset of dementia.
A recent study led by Dr. Krisztina Mekli from The University of Manchester, published in the open-access journal PLOS ONE, adds weight to this theory.
The study involved an extensive analysis of data from approximately 500,000 participants in the UK Biobank.
The Study Design and Methodology
Dr. Mekli and her team assessed various biomarkers indicative of inflammation in participants.
The researchers evaluated the relationship between these biomarkers and participants’ cognitive performance, both concurrently and several years later. They also examined the biomarkers’ relation to later dementia diagnosis.
Factors like demographics, general health status, and the presence of a high-risk variant of the APOE gene for dementia were taken into account during the analysis.
Key Findings
The research found small but statistically significant associations between higher levels of inflammatory biomarkers and increased risk of a dementia diagnosis 3 to 11 years later.
Elevated levels of these biomarkers were also linked to poorer performance in cognitive tests related to prospective memory, fluid intelligence, and reaction time.
While the APOE gene variant remains a stronger predictor for dementia risk, the findings suggest that measuring inflammatory biomarkers could be a supplementary tool for early identification of people at higher risk for dementia.
However, the study is exploratory in nature, and further research is needed to determine whether there is a causal relationship between systemic inflammation and dementia.
Future Directions and Conclusion
Dr. Mekli noted the need for additional research to better understand the mechanisms at play. “This association, of course, does not mean causality.
Further research is needed to understand and evaluate the potential mechanism.
High levels of inflammation might be one of the biomarkers which help to identify people who have an elevated risk of developing dementia in the near future,” she said.
The study brings to light the potential importance of monitoring inflammation as a way to identify those who may be at higher risk of dementia, although further studies are required for validation and to explore possible clinical applications.
If you care about dementia, please read studies about A high sodium, low potassium diet could increase the risk of dementia and findings of Brain shrinkage and its link to different types of dementia.
For more information about brain health, please see recent studies about Hormone therapy linked to dementia in women and results showing that Diabetes drug may reduce dementia risk.
The research findings can be found in PLOS ONE.
Follow us on Twitter for more articles about this topic.
Copyright © 2023 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.
