Brain-derived neurotrophic factor predicts mortality risk in older women.
OBJECTIVE
To test the hypothesis that low circulating brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a secretory member of the neurotrophin family that has a protective role in neurodegeneration and stress responses and a regulatory role in metabolism, predicts risk of all-cause mortality in 85-year-old men and women.


METHODS
Longitudinal study with 50- to 58-month follow-up.


METHODS
The 1914 cohort, a population-based cohort established in 1964 by the Research Center for Prevention and Health at Glostrup Hospital.


METHODS
One hundred eighty-eight unselected 85-year-old Danes.


METHODS
BDNF was measured in plasma and serum. The Danish National Register of Patients was used to collect data on morbidity. The primary outcome in Cox regression analyses was all-cause mortality.


RESULTS
Women with low plasma BDNF (lowest tertile) had greater all-cause mortality risk than women with high plasma BDNF (highest tertile) (hazard ratio=2.2, 95% confidence interval=1.1-4.7). Low plasma BDNF predicted mortality independently of activities of daily living; education; and a history of central nervous system disease, cerebrovascular accidents, cardiovascular disease, cancer, respiratory disease, and low-grade inflammation. No association was found between plasma BDNF and mortality in men, and serum BDNF did not influence mortality in either sex.


CONCLUSIONS
Low plasma BDNF is a novel, independent, and robust biomarker of mortality risk in old women. BDNF may be a central factor in the network of multimorbidity in old populations.
Krabbe
Karen S
KS
Center of Inflammation and Metabolism, Department of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Health Sciences, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark. karen.krabbe@dadlnet.dk
Mortensen
Erik L
EL
Avlund
Kirsten
K
Pedersen
Agnes N
AN
Pedersen
Bente K
BK
Jørgensen
Torben
T
Bruunsgaard
Helle
H
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000097:blood*; D003718:Denmark / Q000453:epidemiology; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009026:Mortality / Q000639:trends*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D015996:Survival Rate
D015415:Biomarkers; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor