The Metabolic Syndrome and Alzheimer Disease

Abstract

Background:The metabolic syndrome is a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, which have been linked to Alzheimer disease. However, a link between Alzheimer disease and the metabolic syndrome has not yet been established.Objective: To investigate the relationship between the metabolic syndrome and Alzheimer disease.Design, Setting, and Participants: Case-control study of 50 consecutive patients diagnosed with probable Alzheimer disease from the Memory Disorders Clinics, Launceston, Australia, and Bristol, England, and 75 cognitively normal controls. Main Outcome Measures:The odds ratio of the metabolic syndrome as defined by the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III.Results: Compared with controls, patients with Alzheimer disease had a significantly larger mean waist circumference, higher mean plasma concentrations of triglycerides and glucose, and a lower mean plasma concentration of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, but they had lower mean systolic blood pressure. The metabolic syndrome was associated with Alzheimer disease (odds ratio, 3.2; 95% confidence interval, 1.2-8.4; P=.02), and this association was strengthened when the hypertension component was excluded (odds ratio, 7.0; 95% confidence interval, 2.7-18.3; PϽ.001). All of the analyses were adjusted for age, sex, and location.Conclusions: This study suggests that Alzheimer disease is associated with the metabolic syndrome. This could have implications for the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer disease.

Age-Related Metabolic Profiles in Cognitively Healthy Elders: Results from a Voxel-Based [18F]Fluorodeoxyglucose–Positron-Emission Tomography Study with Partial Volume Effects Correction: Fig 1.

“…Data concerning age, blood pressure, smoking, and cholesterol level were extracted to generate the FCHDR score, a summary index that was devised to synthesize the combination of different cardiovascular risk factors. 31 This score is especially suitable for the elderly population, which shows several overlapping risk factors, 32 and represents a comprehensive and objective measure to be accounted for in the statistical analyses. The FCHDR calculated for each subject was then used to classify them into the following 3 subgroups according to their cardiovascular risk: low (FCHDR score, Ͻ9%); medium (FCHDR score, 10%-19%); and high (FCHDR score, Ͼ20%).…”

Midlife Metabolic Profile and the Risk of Late-Life Cognitive Decline

“…Several population-based studies suggested that the presence of MetS increased the risk of developing age-related CD, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), AD, and vascular dementia (VaD) [8][9][10][11] and the risk of progression from MCI to dementia [11]. Furthermore, individual components of MetS have been linked to the risk of developing CD and dementia.…”

Metabolic Syndrome Predicts Cognitive Decline in Community-Dwelling Elderly People: A 10-Year Cohort Study

“…The report defined MetS as the presence of 3 or more of the following: (i) fasting plasma Several cross-sectional studies have reported 2-to 7-fold increases in the risk of developing cognitive decline [9,10] among those with MetS; nevertheless, other studies have failed to discover an increased risk [11]. Therefore, the association between MetS and the risk of cognitive decline remains unclear.…”