C-Reactive Protein Predicts Incidence of Dementia in an Elderly Asian Community Cohort.
BACKGROUND
Many studies have investigated the association between markers for peripheral inflammation and risk of dementia, but the results have been conflicting. We aimed to evaluate the association between a specific inflammation marker, C-reactive protein (CRP), and dementia in an elderly Asian community cohort.


METHODS
The cohort included 1436 individuals (ages 65 and older) from a national representative sample in Taiwan. Dementia incidence was identified using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision codes for vascular dementia, Alzheimer disease, and nonvascular dementia. Baseline characteristics and CRP levels were determined. A Cox proportional hazard model and Fine and Grays model were adjusted for stroke and competing risk of death to estimate the association between inflammation and development of dementia.


RESULTS
During 11.04 years (median) of follow-up, 607 individuals (50.77%) died and 260 individuals (18.11%) were diagnosed with dementia. Those with high CRP had a 55% higher risk of dementia (hazard ratio 1.55; 95% confidence interval 1.21-2.00) compared with those with normal CRP. After adjusting for possible confounding cardiovascular risk factors, high CRP was independently associated with vascular dementia but not Alzheimer disease.


CONCLUSIONS
In this prospective study of an elderly Asian community cohort with more than 10 years of follow-up, the baseline serum CRP level was associated with future development of vascular dementia, but not Alzheimer disease after adjusting for common cardiovascular risk factors, stroke, and competing risk of death.
Department of Healthcare and Service Center, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; Faculty of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.
Pai-Feng
PF
Hsu
Institute of BioMedical Science, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan; Population Health Science Institute, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli, Taiwan.
Wen-Harn
WH
Pan
Department of Neurology, National Taiwan University Hospital, Hsin-Chu Branch, Hsin-Chu city, Taiwan.
Bak-Sau
BS
Yip
Population Health Science Institute, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli, Taiwan.
Rosalind Chia-Yu
RC
Chen
Department of Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; Faculty of Public Health, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.
Hao-Min
HM
Cheng
Population Health Science Institute, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli, Taiwan. Electronic address: chuangsy@nhri.org.tw.
Shao-Yuan
SY
Chuang
D000368:Aged; D044466:Asian People; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis*; D003704:Dementia / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology
D002097:C-Reactive Protein
C-reactive protein; competing risk; dementia incidence