Markers of Abnormal Liver Function Linked to Alzheimer's Disease

A jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2740062 study in JAMA Network Open found abnormal liver enzyme levels measured by common blood tests may be associated with Alzheimer's diagnosis and multiple disease biomarkers, reports the U.S. National Institute on Aging (NIA) . The study involved 1,581 participants of the NIA-supported Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative. The results for 407 healthy controls, 862 with memory issues or mild cognitive impairment, and 312 people diagnosed with Alzheimer's were examined. Abnormal levels of liver enzymes were linked to diagnosis of Alzheimer's and corresponded with poor memory and thinking scores in afflicted individuals. Abnormal levels also tied into higher concentrations of amyloid in the brain spotted by positron emission tomography imaging, and lower amyloid and elevated levels of tau in cerebrospinal fluid. Moreover, abnormal liver enzyme levels were connected to lower glucose metabolism and greater contraction in brain regions involved in memory and thinking.