New study suggests inflammatory biomarkers may help predict dementia risk

New research published in the open-access journal PLOS ONE, which studied data from around 500,000 people, suggests that there may be a connection between inflammation in the body and the risk of developing dementia.

Dementia affects millions worldwide, and scientists are working to uncover its complex causes. Previous studies have indicated that inflammation, which is the body's immune system response, might play a role in the development of dementia.

To explore this potential link, researchers analysed data from the UK Biobank study, which included various cognitive tests and inflammatory biomarker measurements. They looked at the participants' cognitive performance both at the time of the biomarker assessment and years later, as well as any later dementia diagnoses.

The findings showed that higher levels of inflammatory biomarkers were associated with an increased risk of dementia diagnosis three to eleven years later. Additionally, elevated inflammatory biomarkers were linked to poorer performance in certain cognitive tests, like prospective memory, fluid intelligence, and reaction time, both at the initial assessment and years later.