Alzheimer's, Dementia & Mental Health
Small Amounts of
Albumin in Urine Signals Rapid Mental Decline in Older Women
Study shows
cognitive decline at a rate 2 to 7 times faster than that attributed to
aging alone - suggest testing
Dr. Julie Lin |
Nov. 21, 2010 -
A new study, presented yesterday has found that low amounts of albumin
in the urine, at levels not traditionally considered clinically
significant, strongly predict faster cognitive decline in older senior
citizen women. The most striking decline was in verbal fluency.
The study
involved more than 1,200 female senior citizens aged 70 or older in the
Nurses' Health Study. They were phoned every two years for three cycles
and tested for general cognition, verbal/word memory, verbal fluency
(speed in making word associations), and working/short-term memory.
Julie Lin, MD,
of Brigham and Women's Hospital and her colleagues found that
participants with a urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio of 5 mcg/mg or
greater at the start of the study experienced cognitive decline at a
rate 2 to 7 times faster in all cognitive measures than that attributed
to aging alone over an average 6 years of follow-up.
"The strongest
association was seen with a decline in the verbal fluency score, which
has been attributed to progressive small vessel disease in the brain,
which supports the view that albuminuria is an early marker of diffuse
vascular disease," said Dr. Lin.
"Therefore, in
light of the aging U.S. population, which is at risk for cognitive
decline and vascular disease, simple, non-invasive screening for albumin
in the urine as an independent predictor for subsequent cognitive
decline may represent an important public health issue."
The study, "A
Prospective Study of Albuminuria and Cognitive Decline in Women," was
presented as an oral presentation on Saturday, at ASN Renal Week 2010.
The event
sponsored by the American Society of Nephrology (ASN) is the largest
nephrology meeting of its kind. It provides a forum for 13,000
professionals to discuss the latest findings in renal research and
engage in educational sessions related to advances in the care of
patients with kidney and related disorders. The event is being held
through today at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver.
Study co-authors
included Fran Grodstein, PhD, Jae Hee Kang, PhD, and Gary Curhan, MD,
ScD, (Brigham and Women's Hospital).
Disclosures: Dr.
Curhan is a consultant for Takeda Pharmaceuticals; receives
grants/research support from Astellas and honoraria from Takeda
Pharmaceuticals. Dr. Lin, Dr. Grodstein, and Dr. Hee Kang reported no
other financial disclosures.
>>
American Society of Nephrology
About
Albumin and
Creatinine
Albumin
Albumin is a protein made by the liver. A serum albumin
test measures the amount of this protein in the clear liquid portion of
the blood.
This test can help determine if a patient has
liver disease or
kidney disease, or if the
body is not absorbing enough
protein.
Albumin helps move many small molecules through the
blood, including
bilirubin, calcium,
progesterone, and medications. It plays an important role in keeping the
fluid from the blood from leaking out into the tissues.
Because albumin is made by the liver, decreased serum
albumin may be a sign of liver disease. It can also result from kidney
disease, which allows albumin to escape into the urine. Decreased
albumin may also be explained by malnutrition or a low protein diet.
>>
More on Albumin at
MedlinePlus
Creatinine
Creatinine is a breakdown product of creatine, which is
an important part of muscle.
Creatinine is removed from the body entirely by the
kidneys. If kidney function is abnormal, creatinine levels will increase
in the blood (because less creatinine is released through your urine).
Creatinine levels also vary according to a person's size
and muscle mass.
Females usually have a lower creatinine than males,
because they usually have less muscle mass.
>>
More on Creatinine at
MedlinePlus
