Prospective study of increased platelet membrane fluidity as a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease: results at 5 years.
OBJECTIVE
The primary goal of this study was to evaluate increased platelet membrane fluidity as a putative risk factor for Alzheimer's disease.


METHODS
This report describes the initial results of a prospective, longitudinal study of 330 initially asymptomatic, first-degree relatives of probands with Alzheimer's disease.


RESULTS
Five incident cases of Alzheimer's disease were detected during the first 1,582 subject-years of the follow-up period. The age-specific incidence of Alzheimer's disease was several-fold higher than corresponding figures that were obtained in two prospective community studies. Most important, both age and increased platelet membrane fluidity made significant independent contributions to the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.


CONCLUSIONS
These results validate age and a family history of Alzheimer's disease as risk factors for this disorder and provide the first prospective evidence of increased platelet membrane fluidity as a biological risk factor for Alzheimer's disease.
Zubenko
G S
GS
Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, PA 15213, USA.
Teply
I
I
Winwood
E
E
Huff
F J
FJ
Moossy
J
J
Sunderland
T
T
Martinez
A J
AJ
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology; D015415:Biomarkers; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000378:metabolism*; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008560:Membrane Fluidity; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors
D015415:Biomarkers