title: C-reactive protein and cognition are unrelated to leukoaraiosis.
abstract: Elevated serum levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) have been associated with leukoaraiosis in elderly brain. However, several studies indicate that leukoaraiosis is associated with an increased risk of cognitive impairment. It is unknown how the effect of CRP on cognition is mediated by leukoaraiosis. The purpose of this study is to assess the relationship between serum levels of CRP, the presence of leukoaraiosis, and cognitive impairment in a population of coronary patients over 50 years old. CRP levels explained 7.18% (P: 0.002) of the variance of the MMSE. The adjustment for the presence of leukoaraiosis little changed this variance (5.98%, P: 0.005), indicating that only a small portion of the CRP influence on cognition was mediated via leukoaraiosis. Patients with CRP levels ≥ 5.0 had 2.9 (95% CI: 1.26-6.44) times more chance to present cognitive impairment (P: 0.012). We found that elevated serum levels of CRP were associated with increased risk of cognitive impairment in elderly and it was not mediated by presence of leukoaraiosis.
authors.affiliation: Division of Geriatric Neurology, Service of Neurology, "Hospital de Clinicas de Porto Alegre" (HCPA), Ramiro Barcelos Street 2.350, 90035-903 Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Liara
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-9823-8647
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rizzi
authors.affiliation: Division of Geriatric Neurology, Service of Neurology, "Hospital de Clinicas de Porto Alegre" (HCPA), Ramiro Barcelos Street 2.350, 90035-903 Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Fabricio Correia
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Marques
authors.affiliation: Division of Gerontological Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), São Manoel Street 963, 90620-110 Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Idiane
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Rosset
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Ramiro Barcelos Street 2.040, 90035-903 Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Emilio Hideyuki
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Moriguchi
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Ramiro Barcelos Street 2.040, 90035-903 Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Paulo Dornelles
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Picon
authors.affiliation: Division of Geriatric Neurology, Service of Neurology, "Hospital de Clinicas de Porto Alegre" (HCPA), Ramiro Barcelos Street 2.350, 90035-903 Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil ; Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Ramiro Barcelos Street 2.040, 90035-903 Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marcia Lorena Fagundes
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Chaves
authors.affiliation: Division of Geriatric Neurology, Service of Neurology, "Hospital de Clinicas de Porto Alegre" (HCPA), Ramiro Barcelos Street 2.350, 90035-903 Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil ; Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Ramiro Barcelos Street 2.040, 90035-903 Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Matheus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Roriz-Cruz
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism*; D003071:Cognition; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D049292:Leukoaraiosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D002097:C-Reactive Protein