Metabolic syndrome promotes cognitive decline

More evidence that metabolic syndrome, and its root causal factor insulin resistance, are damaging to the brain and promote cognitive decline appears in a study just published in the journal Neurology. The authors set out to...

"...examine associations between metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its individual components with risk of cognitive decline on specific cognitive functions."

The assessed 4,323 women and 2,764 men aged 65 and over for cognitive decline and metabolic syndrome (possessing at least 3 of 5 cardio-metabolic abnormalities: hypertension, high waist circumference, hypertriglyceridemia, low high-density lipoprotein [HDL] cholesterol, hyperglycemia). The risk evaluation was adjusted for a number of variables including the APOE4 genotype. What did their data show?

"MetS at baseline was associated with an increased risk of cognitive decline on MMSE [Mini-Mental State Examination for global cognitive function].... Among MetS components, hypertriglyceridemia and low HDL cholesterol were significantly associated with higher decline on MMSE; diabetes, but not elevated fasting glycemia, was significantly associated with higher decline on BVRT [Benton Visual Retention Test for visual working memory]and IST [Isaacs Set Test for verbal fluency]."

The practical message for clinicians and the public is that blood sugar and insulin regulation are critical factors for brain health. Management begins with diet and lifestyle factors including exercise and encompasses specific needs for supplementation as determined by reliable laboratory investigations that disclose individual genetic and epigenetic factors. The authors conclude:

"MetS as a whole and several of its components had a negative impact on global cognitive decline and specific cognitive functions in older persons."