Blood Lipids and Cognitive Performance of Aging Polish Adults: A Case-Control Study Based on the PolSenior Project

Oliwia McFarlane; Mariusz Kozakiewicz; Kornelia Kędziora-Kornatowska; Dominika Gębka; Aleksandra Szybalska; Małgorzata Szwed; Alicja Klich-Rączka

doi:10.3389/fnagi.2020.590546

Blood Lipids and Cognitive Performance of Aging Polish Adults: A Case-Control Study Based on the PolSenior Project

Front Aging Neurosci. 2020 Nov 17:12:590546. doi: 10.3389/fnagi.2020.590546. eCollection 2020.

Authors

Oliwia McFarlane^{1

2}, Mariusz Kozakiewicz³, Kornelia Kędziora-Kornatowska², Dominika Gębka², Aleksandra Szybalska⁴, Małgorzata Szwed⁵, Alicja Klich-Rączka⁶

Affiliations

¹ Department of Social and Medical Sciences, L. Rydygier Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Toruń, Poland.
² Department of Geriatrics, L. Rydygier Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Toruń, Poland.
³ Department of Geriatrics, Division of Biochemistry and Biogerontology, L. Rydygier Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Toruń, Poland.
⁴ International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Aging and Longevity Strategic Project, Warsaw, Poland.
⁵ Department of Human Epigenetics, Mossakowski Medical Research Centre, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland.
⁶ Department of Internal Medicine and Gerontology, Faculty of Medicine, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Kraków, Poland.

Abstract

Background: The demand for effective strategies for maintaining cognitive capableness and establishing early dementia diagnosis has been tremendous, especially in the context of population aging. However, studies on the elderly population and neurocognitive impairment had provided ambiguous results throughout, while potential blood biomarkers of cognitive decline are yet to be clearly understood. Objectives: The present study is aimed at assessing the relationship between blood lipids-especially in the context of their usefulness as biomarkers of an early cognitive decline-and cognitive functioning of aging adults. Materials and Methods: The study sample consisted of 230 participants-(109 women, 121 men) aged 65+ years. Plasma 24(S)-hydroxycholesterol [24(S)-OHC], serum total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL) were assessed. The analyses were conducted in three groups of cognitive performance: cognitively normal, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and mild dementia, of which the subjects were divided with the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). Results: No significant differences in 24(S)-OHC plasma concentrations for different levels of cognitive performance were found. Significant differences were found in serum TC (p = 0.026) and LDL (p = 0.007) concentrations for different levels of cognitive performance. Concentrations of both parameters were highest in the MCI group and lowest in mild dementia and cognitive norm, respectively. No significant differences between serum HDL concentrations and cognitive performance were found. Conclusions: To fully assess the potential of research on blood lipids in regards to a cognitive decline, cross-sectional or epidemiological studies aimed at further exploring blood lipid roles in both the early and advanced MCI and dementia, are needed.

Keywords: 24(S)-hydroxycholesterol; biomarker; cholesterol; cognition; dementia; mild cognitive impairment; neurodegeneration; plasma.