Search

Background: The epsilon4 allele of apolipoprotein E (APOE) and head injury are risk factors for dementia diseases, and may act synergistically to further increase the risk. The aim of this study was to examine the association between mild head injury, APOE and dementia.Methods: Data were obtained from the Betula prospective population-based study of aging, memory, and health. The study included 543 participants in the age range 40-85 years, free of dementia at baseline, who were followed up within a 5-year interval. Dementia was classified using DSM-IV criteria. Information on previous head injury was obtained through screening of the participants' answers to health questionnaires at baseline and at follow-up.Results: Subjects with head injury but without APOE epsilon4 had no increased risk of dementia. Subjects with APOE epsilon4 had an increased risk and those with both APOE epsilon4 and head injury had the highest risk of dementia (odds ratio = 5.2).Conclusions: APOE epsilon4 constitutes a risk factor for dementia, mild injury in isolation does not increase the risk, but head injury in combination with the APOE epsilon4 leads to increased risk of dementia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports on the e4 allele of apolipoprotein E (APOE) and head injury and its relation to dementia. The e4 allele of apolipoprotein E (APOE) and head injury risks are considered risks factors for dementia diseases. A study was conducted to examine the relation of mild head injury, APOE and dementia. The study used 543 subjects whose ages are 40 to 85 years old. The results show that people with head injury but do not have APOE e4 have no increased risk of dementia.

White matter lesions (WML) on MRI of the brain are common in both demented and nondemented older persons. They may be due to ischemic events and are associated with cognitive and physical impairments. It is not known whether the prevalence of these WML in the general population differs across European countries in a pattern similar to that seen for coronary heart disease. Here we report the prevalence of WML in 1,805 men and women drawn from population-based samples of 65- to 75-year-olds in ten European cohorts. Data were collected using standardized methods as a part of the multicenter study CASCADE (Cardiovascular Determinants of Dementia). Centers were grouped by region: south (Italy, Spain, France), north (Netherlands, UK, Sweden), and central (Austria, Germany, Poland). In this 10-year age stratum, 92% of the sample had some lesions, and the prevalence increased with age. The prevalence of WML was highest in the southern region, even after adjusting for differences in demographic and selected cardiovascular risk factors. Brain aging leading to disabilities will increase in the future. As a means of hypothesis generation and for health planning, further research on the geographic distribution of WML may lead to the identification of new risk factors for these lesions. Copyright © 2006 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The macrolide antibiotics are metabolized by cytochrome P-450 enzymes in the liver and interactions with similarly metabolized compounds have been described. Simultaneous treatment with erythromycin and warfarin is known to decrease warfarin clearance and prolong prothrombin time. Roxithromycin (RU 28965), a new erythromycin derivative with improved pharmacokinetic properties, might then, because of structure similarity, be expected to interact with warfarin. In 21 healthy volunteers, the effect of orally administered roxithromycin (150 mg b.i.d.) on warfarin steady-state kinetics, and the effects of warfarin on roxithromycin kinetics, were investigated in a double-blind, randomized study versus placebo. Since the warfarin enantiomers, R- and S-warfarin have both different potency and different metabolism, the ratio between the enantiomers with and without roxithromycin, was also determined. In this study, mean AUC for warfarin increased slightly from day 14 of warfarin treatment to day 28, but no difference was found between the roxithromycin group and the placebo group, and no change appeared in the ratio between the warfarin enantiomers. A moderate increase in dosage was needed to maintain hypocoagulability during warfarin medication, but there was no difference between the roxithromycin group and the placebo groups, respectively. In addition, roxithromycin kinetics appeared to be unaffected by warfarin treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]