Alzheimer’s & Dementia: Diagnosis, Assessment & Disease Monitoring (Jan 2020)

LDL cholesterol and uridine levels in blood are potential nutritional biomarkers for clinical progression in Alzheimer's disease: The NUDAD project

  • Francisca A. deLeeuw,
  • Betty M. Tijms,
  • Astrid S. Doorduijn,
  • Heleen M. A. Hendriksen,
  • Ondine van deRest,
  • Marian A. E. devan der Schueren,
  • Marjolein Visser,
  • Ellen G. H. M. vanden Heuvel,
  • Nick vanWijk,
  • Jörgen Bierau,
  • Bart N. vanBerckel,
  • Philip Scheltens,
  • Maartje I. Kester,
  • Wiesje M. van derFlier,
  • Charlotte E. Teunissen

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/dad2.12120
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 12, no. 1
pp. n/a – n/a

Abstract

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Abstract INTRODUCTION We examined associations between nutritional biomarkers and clinical progression in individuals with subjective cognitive decline (SCD), mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and Alzheimer's disease (AD)‐type dementia. METHODS We included 528 individuals (64 ± 8 years, 46% F, follow‐up 2.1 ± 0.87 years) with SCD (n = 204), MCI (n = 130), and AD (n = 194). Baseline levels of cholesterol, triglycerides, glucose, homocysteine, folate, vitamin A, B12, E and uridine were measured in blood and S‐adenosylmethionine and S‐adenosylhomocysteine in cerebrospinal fluid. We determined associations between nutritional biomarkers and clinical progression using Cox proportional hazard models. RESULTS Twenty‐two (11%) patients with SCD, 45 (35%) patients with MCI, and 100 (52%) patients with AD showed clinical progression. In SCD, higher levels of low‐density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol were associated with progression (hazard ratio [HR] [95% confidence interval (CI)] 1.88 [1.04 to 3.41]). In AD, lower uridine levels were associated with progression (0.79 [0.63 to 0.99]). DISCUSSION Our findings suggest that LDL cholesterol and uridine play a—stage‐dependent—role in the clinical progression of AD.

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