Evidence for association of anaemia with vascular dementia.
The present investigation aimed to examine associations of anaemia with dementia. Analysis of community-dwelling, elderly subjects characterized for different dementias failed to confirm a previously reported association of anaemia with Alzheimer's disease (AD) but revealed instead a significant association with vascular dementia (VAD). Nearly 45% of VAD subjects were anaemic, compared with 17% of controls. Close to one-third of all subjects with haemoglobin levels > 0.5 g/dl below reference anaemia levels had VAD. Co-existing VAD may explain previous links between AD and anaemia. The association was independent of age, dementia severity and a range of other factors including vitamin B 12 and folate levels. Anaemia can exacerbate focal cerebral ischaemia and could precipitate or amplify VAD symptoms in elderly subjects with vasculopathy.
Milward
E A
EA
Department of Medicine, University of Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Grayson
D A
DA
Creasey
H
H
Janu
M R
MR
Brooks
W S
WS
Broe
G A
GA
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology; D000740:Anemia / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications*; D015140:Dementia, Vascular / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012189:Retrospective Studies
D006454:Hemoglobins