title: Hemostasis abnormalities in patients with vascular dementia and Alzheimer's disease.
abstract: Since it has not been established to what extent abnormalities of hemostasis contribute to the occurrence and development of dementia, selected measurements of coagulation and fibrinolysis were obtained in elderly patients with Alzheimer's disease (n = 22) or vascular dementia (n = 29), compared with healthy individuals in the same age range (n = 61). Hemostasis abnormalities were more frequent and marked in vascular dementia, being expressed as significant increases of plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1, von Willebrand factor, D-dimer and activated factor VII. However, some hemostasis measurements (von Willebrand factor, activated factor VII) were abnormally high also in the patients with Alzheimer's disease, a condition in which vascular damage is not considered to play a major pathogenetic role. It could not be established in this study whether or not these hemostatic abnormalities play a casual role in the pathogenesis of dementia, or whether they are secondary to inflammation and chronic vascular disease. Nevertheless, their presence may contribute to aggravating vascular disease.
authors.affiliation: Geriatrics Unit, Angelo Bianchi Bonomi Hemophilia and Thrombosis Center, IRCCS Maggiore Hospital, Italy.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mari
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Parnetti
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Coppola
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bottasso
authors.forename: G P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Reboldi
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Senin
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Mannucci
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications; D001777:Blood Coagulation; D001778:Blood Coagulation Disorders / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications*; D001779:Blood Coagulation Factors / Q000032:analysis; D001798:Blood Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D015140:Dementia, Vascular / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications; D005260:Female; D005338:Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products / Q000032:analysis; D005340:Fibrinogen / Q000032:analysis; D005342:Fibrinolysis; D005344:Fibrinopeptide A / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000032:analysis; D011516:Prothrombin / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D001779:Blood Coagulation Factors; D001798:Blood Proteins; D005338:Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products; D010446:Peptide Fragments; C036309:fibrin fragment D; C045879:prothrombin fragment 1.2; D005344:Fibrinopeptide A; D011516:Prothrombin; D005340:Fibrinogen