Effect of serum lipids and lipoproteins on cognitive impairment in Dementia patients of Western Indian region

Background: Despite much research,there are currently no established blood-based biomarkers for dementia.The aim of the present study was to assess the circulatory biochemical parameters and their association with cognitive markers in serum of patients with Dementia and Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and compare with elderly age-matched controls. Materials & Methods: The study population consisted of patients with Dementia (Group A, n = 32), Mild Cognitive Impairment (Group B, n = 28), and elderly age-matched Controls (Group C, n = 30). All the participants were subjected to psychological assessment, anthropometric measurements and serum biochemical estimations like blood sugar, lipid profile, lipoproteins, and thyroid profile. Results: We observed significantly reduced levels of Total Cholesterol, High Density Lipoprotein-Cholesterol, Apolipoprotein B and total T4 in serum of Dementia patients compared to elderly age-matched controls (p < 0.05). While decreased Apolipoprotein A1 levels were found in serum of Dementia and MCI patients compared to elderly age-matched controls (p < 0.01). Finally, a positive correlation of Apolipoprotein A1 and total T4 levels with markers of cognitive impairment was observed in Dementia and MCI patients. Conclusion: Our findings suggest the importance of serum lipids, lipoproteins and thyroid hormones in cognitive impairment in patients with Dementia and MCI.