Elevated Blood Homocysteine Increases the Risk of Incident Motoric Cognitive Risk Syndrome: A Two-Cohort Study

Overview

Journal J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci

Specialty Geriatrics

Date 2024 Apr 27

PMID 38671552

Authors

Kelly Cotton

Emmeline Ayers

Ying Jin

Olivier Beauchet

Carol A Derby

Richard B Lipton

Mindy Katz

Kevin Galery

Pierrette Gaudreau

Joe Verghese

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Motoric Cognitive Risk (MCR) syndrome, a predementia syndrome characterized by cognitive complaints and slow gait, may have an underlying vascular etiology. Elevated blood levels of homocysteine, a known vascular risk factor, have been linked to physical and cognitive decline in older adults, though the relationship with MCR is unknown. We aimed to identify the association between homocysteine and MCR risk.

Methods: We examined the association between baseline homocysteine levels and incident MCR using Cox proportional hazard models in 1826 community-dwelling older adults (55% women) from 2 cohorts (Einstein Aging Study [EAS] and Quebec Longitudinal Study on Nutrition and Successful Aging [NuAge]). We calculated hazard ratios (HR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI), for each cohort as well as stratified by sex and vascular disease/risk factors.

Results: Median follow-up time was 2.2 years in EAS and 3.0 years in NuAge. Individuals with elevated baseline homocysteine levels (>14 µmol/L) had a significantly higher risk of incident MCR compared to those with normal levels in NuAge (HR 1.41, 95% CI: 1.01-1.97, p = .04), after adjusting for covariates. Our exploratory stratified analyses found that these associations were significant only in men with vascular disease/risk factors.

Conclusions: Higher blood homocysteine levels are associated with an increased risk of developing MCR in older adults, particularly in men with vascular disease or vascular risk factors.

Citing Articles

Association of peak expiratory flow with motoric cognitive risk syndrome among older adults.

Xu H, Gong X, Cui K, Li X, Chen L, Lu Y Front Aging Neurosci. 2024; 16:1412542.

PMID: 39170900 PMC: 11335682. DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2024.1412542.

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