Cardiovascular Disease, Diabetes Mellitus, and Hypertension in Lewy Body Disease: A Comparison with Other Dementia Disorders

Essential New Complexity-Based Themes for Patient-Centered Diagnosis and Treatment of Dementia and Predementia in Older People: Multimorbidity and Multilevel Phenomenology

Dementia is a highly prevalent condition with devastating clinical and socioeconomic sequela. It is expected to triple in prevalence by 2050. No treatment is currently known to be effective. Symptomatic late-onset dementia and predementia (SLODP) affects 95% of patients with the syndrome. In contrast to trials of pharmacological prevention, no treatment is suggested to remediate or cure these symptomatic patients. SLODP but not young onset dementia is intensely associated with multimorbidity (MUM), including brain-perturbating conditions (BPCs). Recent studies showed that MUM/BPCs have a major role in the pathogenesis of SLODP. Fortunately, most MUM/BPCs are medically treatable, and thus, their treatment may modify and improve SLODP, relieving suffering and reducing its clinical and socioeconomic threats. Regrettably, the complex system features of SLODP impede the diagnosis and treatment of the potentially remediable conditions (PRCs) associated with them, mainly due to failure of pattern recognition and a flawed diagnostic workup. We suggest incorporating two SLODP-specific conceptual themes into the diagnostic workup: MUM/BPC and multilevel phenomenological themes. By doing so, we were able to improve the diagnostic accuracy of SLODP components and optimize detecting and favorably treating PRCs. These revolutionary concepts and their implications for remediability and other parameters are discussed in the paper.

Factors Associated With Increased Health Care Utilization for Patients With Dementia With Lewy Bodies: A Narrative Review

Numerous studies have demonstrated that dementia is associated with increased utilization of health care services, which in turn results in increased costs of care. Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) is associated with greater costs of care relative to other forms of dementia due to higher rates of hospitalization and nursing home placement directly related to neuropsychiatric symptoms, parkinsonism, increased susceptibility to delirium, and elevated rates of caregiver burden. There is a critical need for researchers to identify potentially modifiable factors contributing to increased costs of care and poor clinical outcomes for patients with DLB, which may include comorbidities, polypharmacy/contraindicated medications, and access to specialty care. Previous research has utilized Medicare claims data, limiting the ability to study patients with early-onset (ie, prior to age 65) DLB. Integrated health systems offer the ability to combine electronic medical record data with Medicare, Medicaid, and commercial claims data and may therefore be ideal for utilization research in this population. The goals of this narrative review are to 1) synthesize and describe the current literature on health care utilization studies for patients with DLB, 2) highlight the current gaps in the literature, and 3) provide recommendations for stakeholders, including researchers, health systems, and policymakers. It is important to improve current understanding of potentially modifiable factors associated with increased costs of care among patients with DLB to inform public health policies and clinical decision-making, as this will ultimately improve the quality of patient care.

Cardiovascular Disease and Dementia: Exploring Intersections, Risks, and Therapeutic Challenges

This review examines the complex bidirectional relationship between cardiovascular disease and various dementia subtypes, including Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia, Lewy body dementia, and frontotemporal dementia. Traditional cardiovascular risk factors such as hypertension, coronary artery disease, arrhythmia, and diabetes mellitus are strongly linked to the development of dementia. Emerging evidence indicates that cognitive decline can exacerbate cardiovascular risks through heightened inflammatory responses and compromised autonomic regulation. Additionally, this review explores trials that investigate the impact of cardiovascular medications, such as antihypertensive and statin therapies, on cognitive outcomes, as well as studies examining how dementia treatments like anticholinesterases affect cardiovascular health. This review emphasizes the importance of early identification of at-risk individuals, integrated care approaches, and lifestyle interventions aimed at reducing both cardiovascular disease and dementia risk, ultimately aiming to enhance patient outcomes and quality of life.

Impact of diabetes and glycated hemoglobin level on the clinical manifestations of Parkinson's disease

BACKGROUND

The coexistence of diabetes mellitus (DM) has been suggested to accelerate the progression of Parkinson's disease (PD) and make the phenotype more severe. In this study, we investigated whether DM or glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels affect the differences in motor and nonmotor symptoms.

METHODS

We conducted a cross-sectional study including 140 consecutive Japanese patients with PD for whom medical history and serum HbA1c records were available. The PD patients with a DM diagnosis were classified into the diabetes-complicated group (PD-DM) and the nondiabetes-complicated group (PD-no DM). Next, patients were classified based on a median HbA1c value of 5.7, and clinical parameters were compared. The correlations between HbA1c levels and other clinical variables were analyzed.

RESULTS

Of 140 patients, 23 patients (16%) had DM. Compared to PD-no DM patients, PD-DM patients showed lower MMSE scores. Compared to the lower HbA1c group, the higher HbA1c group showed a higher MDS-UPDRS part III score and a lower metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) scintigraphy heart-to-mediastinum (H/M) ratio. HbA1c levels were positively correlated with age and the MDS-UPDRS part III score and negatively correlated with the MMSE score and H/M ratio on cardiac MIBG scintigraphy. Binary logistic regression analysis, which included age, sex, disease duration, and MMSE and MDS-UPDRS part III scores as independent variables, revealed that a lower MMSE score was an independent contributor to PD-DM and PD with high HbA1c levels.

CONCLUSIONS

DM complications and high HbA1c levels may affect cognitive function in patients with PD.

Acute Myocardial Infarction and Risk of Cognitive Impairment and Dementia: A Review

Cognitive impairment (CI) shares common cardiovascular risk factors with acute myocardial infarction (AMI), and is increasingly prevalent in our ageing population. Whilst AMI is associated with increased rates of CI, CI remains underreported and infrequently identified in patients with AMI. In this review, we discuss the evidence surrounding AMI and its links to dementia and CI, including pathophysiology, risk factors, management and interventions. Vascular dysregulation plays a major role in CI, with atherosclerosis, platelet activation, microinfarcts and perivascular inflammation resulting in neurovascular unit dysfunction, disordered homeostasis and a dysfunctional neurohormonal response. This subsequently affects perfusion pressure, resulting in enlarged periventricular spaces and hippocampal sclerosis. The increased platelet activation seen in coronary artery disease (CAD) can also result in inflammation and amyloid-β protein deposition which is associated with Alzheimer's Dementia. Post-AMI, reduced blood pressure and reduced left ventricular ejection fraction can cause chronic cerebral hypoperfusion, cerebral infarction and failure of normal circulatory autoregulatory mechanisms. Patients who undergo coronary revascularization (percutaneous coronary intervention or bypass surgery) are at increased risk for post-procedure cognitive impairment, though whether this is related to the intervention itself or underlying cardiovascular risk factors is debated. Mortality rates are higher in dementia patients with AMI, and post-AMI CI is more prevalent in the elderly and in patients with post-AMI heart failure. Medical management (antiplatelet, statin, renin-angiotensin system inhibitors, cardiac rehabilitation) can reduce the risk of post-AMI CI; however, beta-blockers may be associated with functional decline in patients with existing CI. The early identification of those with dementia or CI who present with AMI is important, as subsequent tailoring of management strategies can potentially improve outcomes as well as guide prognosis.

Association of vascular and degenerative brain pathologies and past medical history from the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center Database

The relationship between past medical histories (PMH) and dementia-related neuropathologies is not well understood. Using the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center (NACC) database, we explored the relationship between patient-reported PMH and various vascular and degenerative neuropathologies. We examined the following PMH: transient ischemic attack (TIA), stroke, traumatic brain injury, seizures, hypertension, cardiovascular events, hypercholesterolemia, B12 deficiency, diabetes mellitus, and thyroid disease. We dichotomized the following neuropathologies: atherosclerosis, arteriolosclerosis, cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA), Alzheimer disease neuropathology (ADNP), Lewy bodies (LB), hippocampal sclerosis, frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD), and TAR DNA-binding protein-43 (TDP-43). Separate logistic regression models assessed the relationship between the outcome of individual neuropathologies and all PMHs. Additional logistic regressions were stratified by sex to further examine these associations. Hypertension history was associated with an increased likelihood of atherosclerosis (OR = 1.7) and arteriolosclerosis (OR = 1.3), but decreased odds of ADNP (OR = 0.81), CAA (OR = 0.79), and LB (OR = 0.78). History of TIA was associated with an increased likelihood of atherosclerosis (OR = 1.3) and arteriolosclerosis (OR = 1.4) and lower odds of ADNP (OR = 0.72). Seizure history was associated with an increased likelihood of ADNP (OR = 1.9) and lower odds of FTLD (OR = 0.49). Hypertension history was associated with a greater likelihood of vascular pathologies yet a lower likelihood of ADNP and other neurodegenerative pathologies.

Sudden cardiac death in synucleinopathies

The purpose of this study was to investigate the cause of death in subjects with α-synucleinopathies (ASs) and the confirmed presence of cardiac α-synuclein (α-syn), compared to non-AS disorders in a neuropathologically confirmed cohort. In total, 78 neuropathologically confirmed AS cases positive for cardiac α-syn were included in the study. Individuals with other neurocognitive diseases, having no α-syn in the brainstem or above, nor in cardiac nerves, served as controls (n = 53). Data regarding the cause of death, cardiac α-syn, pathological cardiac findings, and cardio- and cerebrovascular disease were assembled from autopsy reports and medical records. In the AS group, there was a significantly higher prevalence of sudden cardiac death ([SCD]; n = 40, 51.3%) compared to the control group (n = 12, 22.6%, p < 0.001). No statistically significant differences between the groups were reported regarding other cardiac conditions on autopsy or regarding cardio- and cerebrovascular disease from the medical records. The most prevalent cause of death in the AS group was SCD, which differed significantly from the control group. This suggests that α-syn deposits in cardiac nerves may cause lethal alterations in cardiac function, warranting further research.

Diabetes and cognitive function: An evidence-based current perspective

Several epidemiological studies have clearly identified diabetes mellitus (DM) as a major risk factor for cognitive dysfunction, and it is going to be a major public health issue in the coming years because of the alarming rise in diabetes prevalence across the world. Brain and neural tissues predominantly depend on glucose as energy substrate and hence, any alterations in carbohydrate meta-bolism can directly impact on cerebral functional output including cognition, executive capacity, and memory. DM affects neuronal function and mental capacity in several ways, some of which include hypoperfusion of the brain tissues from cerebrovascular disease, diabetes-related alterations of glucose transporters causing abnormalities in neuronal glucose uptake and metabolism, local hyper- and hypometabolism of brain areas from insulin resistance, and recurrent hypoglycemic episodes inherent to pharmacotherapy of diabetes resulting in neuronal damage. Cognitive decline can further worsen diabetes care as DM is a disease largely self-managed by patients. Therefore, it is crucial to understand the pathobiology of cognitive dysfunction in relation to DM and its management for optimal long-term care plan for patients. A thorough appraisal of normal metabolic characteristics of the brain, how alterations in neural metabolism affects cognition, the diagnostic algorithm for patients with diabetes and dementia, and the management and prognosis of patients when they have this dangerous combination of illnesses is imperative in this context. This evidence-based narrative with the back-up of latest clinical trial reviews elaborates the current understanding on diabetes and cognitive function to empower physicians to manage their patients in day-to-day clinical practice.

Investigation of hypertension and type 2 diabetes as risk factors for dementia in the All of Us cohort

The World Health Organization recently defined hypertension and type 2 diabetes (T2D) as modifiable comorbidities leading to dementia and Alzheimer's disease. In the United States (US), hypertension and T2D are health disparities, with higher prevalence seen for Black and Hispanic minority groups compared to the majority White population. We hypothesized that elevated prevalence of hypertension and T2D risk factors in Black and Hispanic groups may be associated with dementia disparities. We interrogated this hypothesis using a cross-sectional analysis of participant data from the All of Us (AoU) Research Program, a large observational cohort study of US residents. The specific objectives of our study were: (1) to compare the prevalence of dementia, hypertension, and T2D in the AoU cohort to previously reported prevalence values for the US population, (2) to investigate the association of hypertension, T2D, and race/ethnicity with dementia, and (3) to investigate whether race/ethnicity modify the association of hypertension and T2D with dementia. AoU participants were recruited from 2018 to 2019 as part of the initial project cohort (R2019Q4R3). Participants aged 40-80 with electronic health records and demographic data (age, sex, race, and ethnicity) were included for analysis, yielding a final cohort of 125,637 individuals. AoU participants show similar prevalence of hypertension (32.1%) and T2D (13.9%) compared to the US population (32.0% and 10.5%, respectively); however, the prevalence of dementia for AoU participants (0.44%) is an order of magnitude lower than seen for the US population (5%). AoU participants with dementia show a higher prevalence of hypertension (81.6% vs. 31.9%) and T2D (45.9% vs. 11.4%) compared to non-dementia participants. Dominance analysis of a multivariable logistic regression model with dementia as the outcome shows that hypertension, age, and T2D have the strongest associations with dementia. Hispanic was the only race/ethnicity group that showed a significant association with dementia, and the association of sex with dementia was non-significant. The association of T2D with dementia is likely explained by concurrent hypertension, since > 90% of participants with T2D also had hypertension. Black race and Hispanic ethnicity interact with hypertension, but not T2D, to increase the odds of dementia. This study underscores the utility of the AoU participant cohort to study disease prevalence and risk factors. We do notice a lower participation of aged minorities and participants with dementia, revealing an opportunity for targeted engagement. Our results indicate that targeting hypertension should be a priority for risk factor modifications to reduce dementia incidence.

The vascular risk factors and vascular neuropathology in subjects with autopsy-confirmed dementia with Lewy bodies

BACKGROUND

The frequency of vascular risk factors (VRFs) and the relationship between vascular pathology and cognitive function in neurodegenerative disease remains incompletely understood.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to describe the frequency of VRFs and vascular pathology and explore the relationship between vascular pathology and cognitive function in dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB).

METHODS

This study included 363 autopsy-confirmed DLB and 753 Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients from the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center (NACC) database. We used chi-squared test and analysis of variance to compare the VRFs and related factors in DLB and AD. Multinomial logistic regression and Spearman's correlation test were used to examine the relationship between vascular pathology and cognitive function.

RESULTS

No significant differences of VRFs were identified between DLB and AD. Alzheimer's disease patients had higher rates of microinfarcts (23.5% vs. 16.3%, p = 0.005) and moderate to severe amyloid angiopathy (45.9% vs. 36.1%, p = 0.002). In DLB patients, only cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) pathology was negatively correlated with memory domain (r = -0.263, p < 0.001) and language (r = -0.112,p = 0.034). The rates of APOE ε4 allele carriers (60.0% vs. 44.9%, p = 0.004) and CAA pathology (45.9% vs.23.4%, p < 0.001) were much higher in the group with an intermediate likelihood of DLB than in the group with a high likelihood. There was a negative correlation between CAA pathology and memory (logical memory) in the group with an intermediate likelihood of DLB.

CONCLUSION

No difference of VRFs was identified between autopsy-confirmed DLB and AD. Cerebral amyloid angiopathy was shown to be an important pathology in DLB, which specifically correlated with memory and language. The groups with high and intermediate likelihood of DLB differed in terms of CAA pathology, and CAA pathology may play an important role in the development of DLB.

Cerebral Small Vessel Disease in Sporadic and Familial Alzheimer Disease

Alzheimer disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia. Biological definitions of AD are limited to the cerebral burden of amyloid β plaques, neurofibrillary pathology, and neurodegeneration. However, current evidence suggests that various features of small vessel disease (SVD) are part of and covertly modify both sporadic and familial AD. Neuroimaging studies suggest that white matter hyperintensities explained by vascular mechanisms occurs frequently in the AD spectrum. Recent advances have further emphasized that frontal periventricular and posterior white matter hyperintensities are associated with cerebral amyloid angiopathy in familial AD. Although whether SVD markers precede the classically recognized biomarkers of disease is debatable, post-mortem studies show that SVD pathology incorporating small cortical and subcortical infarcts, microinfarcts, microbleeds, perivascular spacing, and white matter attenuation is commonly found in sporadic as well as in mutation carriers with confirmed familial AD. Age-related cerebral vessel pathologies such as arteriolosclerosis and cerebral amyloid angiopathy modify progression or worsen risk by shifting the threshold for cognitive impairment and AD dementia. The incorporation of SVD as a biomarker is warranted in the biological definition of AD. Therapeutic interventions directly reducing the burden of brain amyloid β have had no major impact on the disease or delaying cognitive deterioration, but lowering the risk of vascular disease seems the only rational approach to tackle both early- and late-onset AD dementia.

Pre-transplant Dementia is Associated with Poor Survival After Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation: A Nationwide Cohort Study with Propensity Score Matched Control

Objective

No previous study examined impact of dementia in the outcome of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). We aimed to investigate overall survival (OS) of patients with dementia after receiving HSCT.

Methods

Among 8,230 patients who underwent HSCT between 2002 and 2018, 5,533 patients younger than 50 years were first excluded. Remaining patients were divided into those who were and were not diagnosed with dementia before HSCT (dementia group n = 31; no dementia n = 2,666). Thereafter, among 2,666 participants without dementia, 93 patients were selected via propensity-matched score as non-dementia group. Patients were followed from the day they received HSCT to the occurrence of death or the last follow-up day (December 31, 2018), whichever came first.

Results

With median follow-up of 621 days for dementia group and 654 days for non-dementia group, 2 year-OS of dementia group was lower than that of non-dementia group (53.3% [95% confidence interval, 95% CI, 59.0−80.2%] vs. 68.8% [95% CI, 38.0−68.2%], p = 0.076). In multivariate analysis, dementia had significant impacts on OS (hazard risk = 2.539, 95% CI, 1.166−4.771, p = 0.017).

Conclusion

Our results indicated that patients diagnosed with dementia before HSCT have 2.539 times higher risk of mortality after transplantation than those not having dementia. With number of elderly needing HSCT is increasing, further work to establish treatment guidelines for the management of HSCT in people with dementia is needed.

Natural edible materials made of protein-functionalized aerogel particles for postprandial hyperglycemia management

α-Amylase inhibitors (α-AIs) delay digestion of dietary starch by inhibiting α-amylase in the gut, thereby reducing the postprandial glycemia, which is beneficial to the patients with obesity and diabetes. The proteinaceous α-AIs from wheat can effectively control starch digestion and regulate postprandial hyperglycemia. However, their gastric intolerance remains a challenge, which limits its commercial production and industrial application. In this study, sodium alginate/chitosan aerogels loaded with wheat protein α-AIs were prepared and evaluated as potential transportation and protection matrices for important components in food or pharmaceutical applications. Specifically, the biodegradable aerogel cross-linked with sodium alginate-chitosan-calcium chloride, has a large surface area and open porous structure, which can adsorb staple wheat proteins as an integrated edible material to block around 88,660 U/g of α-amylase activity. The aerogel particles were able to protect the activity of wheat α-AIs in the stomach, leading to the slow passage of the wheat α-AIs through the small intestine to inhibit starch digestion more effectively. Animal experiments further showed that the postprandial blood glucose levels in rats were effectively controlled through delayed increase, after administration of wheat protein-functionalized aerogel particles loaded with wheat α-AIs, which are natural biological macromolecules. This is a novel, safe, and economical method for the prevention and pretreatment of diabetes.

Future Directions for Dementia Risk Reduction and Prevention Research: An International Research Network on Dementia Prevention Consensus

In the past decade a large body of evidence has accumulated on risk factors for dementia, primarily from Europe and North America. Drawing on recent integrative reviews and a consensus workshop, the International Research Network on Dementia Prevention developed a consensus statement on priorities for future research. Significant gaps in geographical location, representativeness, diversity, duration, mechanisms, and research on combinations of risk factors were identified. Future research to inform dementia risk reduction should fill gaps in the evidence base, take a life-course, multi-domain approach, and inform population health approaches that improve the brain-health of whole communities.