title: Evidence for association of anaemia with vascular dementia.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Milward
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Grayson
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Creasey
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Janu
authors.forename: W S
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Brooks
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Broe
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D006454:Hemoglobins