Middle-age inflammation: A clue for old age dementia

Recent researches proved that people, who have any kind of inflammation in their middle age are more prone to develop the risk for brain shrinkage and dementia in their old age.

A study was conducted in which, more than 1600 people with mean age of 53 years were tested for five “biomarkers” of inflammation in their blood. Further, after 24 years, these people were again examined to check the level of the biomarkers in their blood and were then compared with people, who did not show any change in the level of the biomarkers.

When compared with normal ones, people with elevated level of biomarkers had 5% lower volume in hippocampus, and other parts of the brain that are related to Alzheimer’s disease. The memory test scores of these people were also lower than the normal ones.

The study author, Keenan Walker of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, said, “These results suggest that inflammation in midlife may be an early contributor to the brain changes that are associated with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.”

Walker further added, “Because the processes that lead to brain cell loss begin decades before people start showing any symptoms, it is vital that we figure out how these processes that happen in middle age affect people many years later.”