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To determine if measures of adipokines and other blood lipids differentiate between normal controls and persons with Alzheimer's disease (AD), we examined levels of leptin, adiponectin, total cholesterol, high density lipoproteins (HDL), calculated low density lipoproteins (LDL), triglycerides and apolipoprotein E allele status in 148 early AD subjects and 198 normal controls. We were unable to demonstrate a significant difference between leptin and adiponectin levels between normal controls and AD subjects. We were able to confirm observations of lower HDL and higher total and LDL cholesterol concentration in AD subjects than in controls. As expected, the presence of the apolipoprotein E4 allele distinguished between the two groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Primary prevention of Alzheimer disease and other types of dementia (all-cause dementia) is an important public health goal. Evidence to date is insufficient to recommend any lifestyle change to prevent or delay the onset of dementia.Objective: To assess the association between objectively measured midlife cardiorespiratory fitness ("fitness") levels and development of all-cause dementia in advanced age.Design: Prospective, observational cohort study.Setting: Preventive medicine clinic.Patients: 19 458 community-dwelling, nonelderly adults who had a baseline fitness examination.Measurements: Fitness levels, assessed using the modified Balke treadmill protocol between 1971 and 2009, and incident all-cause dementia using Medicare Parts A and B claims data from 1999 to 2009.Results: 1659 cases of incident all-cause dementia occurred during 125 700 person-years of Medicare follow-up (median follow-up, 25 years [interquartile range, 19 to 30 years]). After multivariable adjustment, participants in the highest quintile of fitness level had lower hazard of all-cause dementia than those in the lowest quintile (hazard ratio, 0.64 [95% CI, 0.54 to 0.77]). Higher fitness levels were associated with lower hazard of all-cause dementia with previous stroke (hazard ratio, 0.74 [CI, 0.53 to 1.04]) or without previous stroke (hazard ratio, 0.74 [CI, 0.61 to 0.90]).Limitations: Dementia diagnoses were based on Medicare claims, and participants generally were non-Hispanic white, healthy, and well-educated and had access to preventive health care. This study evaluated fitness levels, so a specific exercise prescription cannot be generated from results and the findings may not be causal.Conclusion: Higher midlife fitness levels seem to be associated with lower hazards of developing all-cause dementia later in life. The magnitude and direction of the association were similar with or without previous stroke, suggesting that higher fitness levels earlier in life may lower risk for dementia later in life, independent of cerebrovascular disease.Primary Funding Source: The Cooper Institute; University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center; National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; and American Heart Association. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Blood levels of homocysteine may be increased in Alzheimer disease (AD) and hyperhomocysteinemia may contribute to disease pathophysiology by vascular and direct neurotoxic mechanisms. Even in the absence of vitamin deficiency, homocysteine levels can be reduced by administration of high-dose supplements of folic acid and vitamins B(6) and B(12). Prior studies of B vitamins to reduce homocysteine in AD have not had sufficient size or duration to assess their effect on cognitive decline.Objective: To determine the efficacy and safety of B vitamin supplementation in the treatment of AD.Design, Setting, and Patients: A multicenter, randomized, double-blind controlled clinical trial of high-dose folate, vitamin B(6), and vitamin B(12) supplementation in 409 (of 601 screened) individuals with mild to moderate AD (Mini-Mental State Examination scores between 14 and 26, inclusive) and normal folic acid, vitamin B(12), and homocysteine levels. The study was conducted between February 20, 2003, and December 15, 2006, at clinical research sites of the Alzheimer Disease Cooperative Study located throughout the United States.Intervention: Participants were randomly assigned to 2 groups of unequal size to increase enrollment (60% treated with high-dose supplements [5 mg/d of folate, 25 mg/d of vitamin B(6), 1 mg/d of vitamin B(12)] and 40% treated with identical placebo); duration of treatment was 18 months.Main Outcome Measure: Change in the cognitive subscale of the Alzheimer Disease Assessment Scale (ADAS-cog).Results: A total of 340 participants (202 in active treatment group and 138 in placebo group) completed the trial while taking study medication. Although the vitamin supplement regimen was effective in reducing homocysteine levels (mean [SD], -2.42 [3.35] in active treatment group vs -0.86 [2.59] in placebo group; P < .001), it had no beneficial effect on the primary cognitive measure, rate of change in ADAS-cog score during 18 months (0.372 points per month for placebo group vs 0.401 points per month for active treatment group, P = .52; 95% confidence interval of rate difference, -0.06 to 0.12; based on the intention-to-treat generalized estimating equations model), or on any secondary measures. A higher quantity of adverse events involving depression was observed in the group treated with vitamin supplements.Conclusion: This regimen of high-dose B vitamin supplements does not slow cognitive decline in individuals with mild to moderate AD.Trial Registration: clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00056225. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of individual caregivers were studied to investigate caregivers' experiences with the issue of driving and dementia. Caregivers first responded to questions about driving and driving cessation related to a fictitious scenario. Caregivers were later asked to respond to a series of questions regarding their personal experience actually coping with the issue of driving with their loved ones. Comparisons revealed a discrepancy between caregivers' general knowledge of the risks and considerations for dementia patients' driving and their actions when confronted with the issue of driving as it pertained to their own care recipients. Responses to questions regarding an undiagnosed, memory impaired fictitious character's driving ability were overwhelmingly in favor of immediate driving cessation (12/16) or restriction (4/16). In contrast, 14 of 16 caregivers allowed their care recipients to continue driving after a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease had been made, for an average of 28.2 months after diagnosis. Further, caregivers were easily able to identify a number (4.8) of issues to be considered in response to the fictitious character's ability to drive, whereas fewer (2.7) considerations were identified in their own personal circumstances. Adiscrepancy was also found between the scenario and real life experience of caregivers when asked about transportation options for care recipients who stopped driving, with 3.6 options for the fictitious character and 1.9 for personal situations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]