Biomarker for Cardiovascular Illness May Also Signal Dementia

A study in the International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry suggests an easily measurable marker of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular risk may also be an early indicator of cognitive decline and possible dementia in older adults, reports Psych Central . The researchers probed a certain blood marker called asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) and its cognitive effects in a group of older adults. In the first phase, ADMA levels measured in 2000, when participants were 63 years old, were associated with decline in cognitive performance assessments after four years. British researcher Deborah Malden said these findings should be considered with caution, and that more extensive analyses would be needed with larger study groups. "We would know much more after repeating this study in a large-scale cohort, potentially tens of thousands of individuals, and perhaps a genetic MR (Mendelian randomization) study," she remarked. If these tests confirm the initial findings, the researchers hope this will lead to population-wide dementia risk categorization and possibly future development of therapeutic strategies to reduce ADMA levels and/or retard the progression of cognitive decline in old age.