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Older women with metabolic syndrome are at increased risk of developing cognitive impairment, including dementia, a report in the Archives of Neurology shows.
Given the high rate of metabolic syndrome among Americans, “even a modest association with cognitive impairment could have large public health implications,” said Dr. Kristine Yaffe of the University of California, San Francisco, and her associates.
The researchers assessed the development of cognitive impairment in 4,895 postmenopausal women participating in a clinical trial of osteoporosis that was conducted at 180 clinical centers in 25 countries. The trial included an ancillary study of cognitive impairment.
The participants were screened for the five components of metabolic syndrome–abdominal obesity, hypertriglyceridemia, low HDL cholesterol, hypertension, and high fasting glucose or diabetes–and followed for 4 years. A total of 497 women (10%) had metabolic syndrome.
The study participants underwent screening for dementia and a battery of cognitive tests at baseline and each year afterward. During that time, 217 women (4%) developed cognitive impairment.
The rate of cognitive impairment was 7% among women who had metabolic syndrome, compared with 4% among those who did not have the syndrome, Dr. Yaffe and her colleagues said (Arch. Neurol. 2009;66:324-8).
The investigators also individually analyzed the five components of metabolic syndrome to assess their individual effects on cognitive risk. They found that only a high fasting glucose level/diabetes raised that risk.
“Our findings add to a growing body of literature that suggests the metabolic syndrome is associated with accelerated cognitive aging,” the researchers said.
The mechanism by which metabolic syndrome raises cognitive risk is not yet known. It is possible that the syndrome raises cerebrovascular risk in the same way in which it is known to raise cardiovascular risk, or that the increased inflammation that often accompanies metabolic syndrome affects brain function as well.
In addition, insulin resistance might accelerate beta-amyloid aggregation, deposition, or clearance. And obesity has been linked to increased neuronal degradation and brain atrophy, they noted.
Future research should determine whether more aggressive clinical control of the components of metabolic syndrome might lessen cognitive risk, the investigators added.
Dr. Yaffe reported no financial disclosures. The parent study was funded by Eli Lilly & Co.
Older women with metabolic syndrome are at increased risk of developing cognitive impairment, including dementia, a report in the Archives of Neurology shows.
Given the high rate of metabolic syndrome among Americans, “even a modest association with cognitive impairment could have large public health implications,” said Dr. Kristine Yaffe of the University of California, San Francisco, and her associates.
The researchers assessed the development of cognitive impairment in 4,895 postmenopausal women participating in a clinical trial of osteoporosis that was conducted at 180 clinical centers in 25 countries. The trial included an ancillary study of cognitive impairment.
The participants were screened for the five components of metabolic syndrome–abdominal obesity, hypertriglyceridemia, low HDL cholesterol, hypertension, and high fasting glucose or diabetes–and followed for 4 years. A total of 497 women (10%) had metabolic syndrome.
The study participants underwent screening for dementia and a battery of cognitive tests at baseline and each year afterward. During that time, 217 women (4%) developed cognitive impairment.
The rate of cognitive impairment was 7% among women who had metabolic syndrome, compared with 4% among those who did not have the syndrome, Dr. Yaffe and her colleagues said (Arch. Neurol. 2009;66:324-8).
The investigators also individually analyzed the five components of metabolic syndrome to assess their individual effects on cognitive risk. They found that only a high fasting glucose level/diabetes raised that risk.
“Our findings add to a growing body of literature that suggests the metabolic syndrome is associated with accelerated cognitive aging,” the researchers said.
The mechanism by which metabolic syndrome raises cognitive risk is not yet known. It is possible that the syndrome raises cerebrovascular risk in the same way in which it is known to raise cardiovascular risk, or that the increased inflammation that often accompanies metabolic syndrome affects brain function as well.
In addition, insulin resistance might accelerate beta-amyloid aggregation, deposition, or clearance. And obesity has been linked to increased neuronal degradation and brain atrophy, they noted.
Future research should determine whether more aggressive clinical control of the components of metabolic syndrome might lessen cognitive risk, the investigators added.
Dr. Yaffe reported no financial disclosures. The parent study was funded by Eli Lilly & Co.
Older women with metabolic syndrome are at increased risk of developing cognitive impairment, including dementia, a report in the Archives of Neurology shows.
Given the high rate of metabolic syndrome among Americans, “even a modest association with cognitive impairment could have large public health implications,” said Dr. Kristine Yaffe of the University of California, San Francisco, and her associates.
The researchers assessed the development of cognitive impairment in 4,895 postmenopausal women participating in a clinical trial of osteoporosis that was conducted at 180 clinical centers in 25 countries. The trial included an ancillary study of cognitive impairment.
The participants were screened for the five components of metabolic syndrome–abdominal obesity, hypertriglyceridemia, low HDL cholesterol, hypertension, and high fasting glucose or diabetes–and followed for 4 years. A total of 497 women (10%) had metabolic syndrome.
The study participants underwent screening for dementia and a battery of cognitive tests at baseline and each year afterward. During that time, 217 women (4%) developed cognitive impairment.
The rate of cognitive impairment was 7% among women who had metabolic syndrome, compared with 4% among those who did not have the syndrome, Dr. Yaffe and her colleagues said (Arch. Neurol. 2009;66:324-8).
The investigators also individually analyzed the five components of metabolic syndrome to assess their individual effects on cognitive risk. They found that only a high fasting glucose level/diabetes raised that risk.
“Our findings add to a growing body of literature that suggests the metabolic syndrome is associated with accelerated cognitive aging,” the researchers said.
The mechanism by which metabolic syndrome raises cognitive risk is not yet known. It is possible that the syndrome raises cerebrovascular risk in the same way in which it is known to raise cardiovascular risk, or that the increased inflammation that often accompanies metabolic syndrome affects brain function as well.
In addition, insulin resistance might accelerate beta-amyloid aggregation, deposition, or clearance. And obesity has been linked to increased neuronal degradation and brain atrophy, they noted.
Future research should determine whether more aggressive clinical control of the components of metabolic syndrome might lessen cognitive risk, the investigators added.
Dr. Yaffe reported no financial disclosures. The parent study was funded by Eli Lilly & Co.