Papers by Babak Hooshmand
Social Science Research Network, 2018
JAMA Psychiatry, 2019
Impairment of methylation status (ie, methionine to homocysteine ratio) may be a modifiable risk ... more Impairment of methylation status (ie, methionine to homocysteine ratio) may be a modifiable risk factor for structural brain changes and incident dementia. OBJECTIVE To investigate the association of serum markers of methylation status and sulfur amino acids with risk of incident dementia, Alzheimer disease (AD), and the rate of total brain tissue volume loss during 6 years. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This population-based longitudinal study was performed from March 21, 2001, to October 10, 2010, in a sample of 2570 individuals aged 60 to 102 years from the Swedish Study on Aging and Care in Kungsholmen who were dementia free at baseline and underwent comprehensive examinations and structural brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) on 2 to 3 occasions during 6 years. Data analysis was performed from March 1, 2018, to October 1, 2018. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Incident dementia, AD, and the rate of total brain volume loss. RESULTS This study included 2570 individuals (mean [SD] age, 73.1 [10.4] years; 1331 [56.5%] female). The methionine to homocysteine ratio was higher in individuals who consumed vitamin supplements (median, 1.9; interquartile range [IQR], 1.5-2.6) compared with those who did not (median, 1.8; IQR, 1.3-2.3; P < .001) and increased per each quartile increase of vitamin B 12 or folate. In the multiadjusted model, an elevated baseline serum total homocysteine level was associated with an increased risk of dementia and AD during 6 years: for the highest homocysteine quartile compared with the lowest, the hazard ratios (HRs) were 1.60 (95% CI, 1.01-2.55) for dementia and 2.33 (95% CI, 1.26-4.30) for AD. In contrast, elevated concentrations of methionine were associated with a decreased risk of dementia (HR, 0.54; 95% CI, 0.36-0.81) for the highest quartile compared with the lowest. Higher values of the methionine to homocysteine ratio were significantly associated with lower risk of dementia and AD: for the fourth methionine-homocysteine quartile compared with the first quartile, the HR was 0.44 (95% CI, 0.27-0.71) for incident dementia and 0.43 (95% CI, 0.23-0.80) for AD. In the multiadjusted linear mixed models, a higher methionine to homocysteine ratio was associated with a decreased rate of total brain tissue volume loss during the study period (β [SE] per 1-SD increase, 0.038 [0.014]; P = .007). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE The methionine to homocysteine status was associated with dementia development and structural brain changes during the 6-year study period, suggesting that a higher methionine to homocysteine ratio may be important in reducing the rate of brain atrophy and decreasing the risk of dementia in older adults.
The Journals of Gerontology: Series A, 2019
We aimed to investigate the association between baseline levels of total serum glutathione (tGSH)... more We aimed to investigate the association between baseline levels of total serum glutathione (tGSH) and rate of chronic disease accumulation over time. The study population (n = 2,596) was derived from a population-based longitudinal study on ≥60-year-olds living in Stockholm. Participants were clinically assessed at baseline, 3- and 6-year follow-ups. Multimorbidity was measured as the number of chronic conditions from a previously built list of 60 diseases. Linear mixed models were applied to analyze the association between baseline tGSH levels and the rate of multimorbidity development over 6 years. We found that at baseline, participants with ≥4 diseases had lower tGSH levels than participants with no chronic conditions (3.3 vs 3.6 µmol/L; p < .001). At follow-up, baseline levels of tGSH were inversely associated with the rate of multimorbidity development (β * time: −0.044, p < .001) after adjusting for age, sex, education, levels of serum creatinine, C-reactive protein, al...
Alzheimer's & Dementia, 2017
Alzheimer's & Dementia, 2017
The American Journal of Medicine, 2018
Objective: To examine the association of serum glucose, insulin, and insulin resistance with cogn... more Objective: To examine the association of serum glucose, insulin, and insulin resistance with cognitive functioning seven years later in a longitudinal population-based study of Finnish older adults. Methods: Serum glucose and insulin were measured at baseline in 269 dementia-free individuals aged 65-79 years derived from the Cardiovascular Risk Factors, Aging, and Dementia (CAIDE) study. Insulin resistance was estimated with the homeostasis model assessment (HOMA). Participants were reexamined seven years later, and global cognition, episodic memory, executive functioning, verbal expression, and psychomotor speed were assessed both at baseline and at follow-up. Multiple linear regression was used to investigate the associations with cognitive performance at follow-up, after adjusting for several potential confounders, including common vascular risk factors. Results: In the multivariable-adjusted linear regression models, no associations of insulin resistance with cognitive functioning were observed. After excluding 19 incident dementia cases, higher baseline HOMA values were related to worse performance in global cognition
Nutrients, 2018
Diet is an important modifiable lifestyle factor related to dementia risk. Yet, the role of midli... more Diet is an important modifiable lifestyle factor related to dementia risk. Yet, the role of midlife dietary changes is unclear. The goal is to investigate whether midlife healthy dietary changes are associated with late-life dementia risk. Data were collected within the Cardiovascular Risk Factors, Aging, and Dementia (CAIDE) population-based cohort study (n = 2000) (mean baseline age = 56 years). Participants returned for two late-life re-examinations (mean age = 70 and 78 years). Self-reported midlife diet was measured in a sub-sample (n = 341) (mean total follow-up = 16.8 years). Changes in specific dietary components (fats, vegetables, sugar, salt) were measured in midlife. Dementia diagnoses were ascertained with detailed examinations. Analyses adjusted for potential confounders. Total midlife healthy dietary changes (improving quality of fats, increasing vegetables, decreasing sugar and salt) were associated with a reduced risk of dementia (fully adjusted odds ratio (OR) 0.41,...
Journal of Alzheimer's disease : JAD, 2018
Identification of modifiable risk factors provides a crucial approach to the prevention of dement... more Identification of modifiable risk factors provides a crucial approach to the prevention of dementia. Nutritional or nutrient-dependent risk factors are especially important because dietary modifications or use of dietary supplements may lower the risk factor level. One such risk factor is a raised concentration of the biomarker plasma total homocysteine, which reflects the functional status of three B vitamins (folate, vitamins B12, B6). A group of experts reviewed literature evidence from the last 20 years. We here present a Consensus Statement, based on the Bradford Hill criteria, and conclude that elevated plasma total homocysteine is a modifiable risk factor for development of cognitive decline, dementia, and Alzheimer's disease in older persons. In a variety of clinical studies, the relative risk of dementia in elderly people for moderately raised homocysteine (within the normal range) ranges from 1.15 to 2.5, and the Population Attributable risk ranges from 4.3 to 31%. Int...
Journal of Neurology, 2017
performance on global cognition [β-coefficient, −0.02; 95% confidence interval (CI), −0.05 to −0.... more performance on global cognition [β-coefficient, −0.02; 95% confidence interval (CI), −0.05 to −0.00], and processing speed [β −0.03, CI −0.05 to −0.01]. Results remained significant after adjusting for potential confounders. Workrelated stress was not significantly associated with episodic memory, executive functioning, verbal fluency or manual dexterity. This study shows that global cognition and processing speed may be particularly susceptible to the effects of midlife work-related stress.
JAMA psychiatry, Jun 27, 2016
Vitamin B12, folate, and sulfur amino acids may be modifiable risk factors for structural brain c... more Vitamin B12, folate, and sulfur amino acids may be modifiable risk factors for structural brain changes that precede clinical dementia. To investigate the association of circulating levels of vitamin B12, red blood cell folate, and sulfur amino acids with the rate of total brain volume loss and the change in white matter hyperintensity volume as measured by fluid-attenuated inversion recovery in older adults. The magnetic resonance imaging subsample of the Swedish National Study on Aging and Care in Kungsholmen, a population-based longitudinal study in Stockholm, Sweden, was conducted in 501 participants aged 60 years or older who were free of dementia at baseline. A total of 299 participants underwent repeated structural brain magnetic resonance imaging scans from September 17, 2001, to December 17, 2009. The rate of brain tissue volume loss and the progression of total white matter hyperintensity volume. In the multi-adjusted linear mixed models, among 501 participants (300 women ...
Alzheimer's & Dementia, 2014
Journal of internal medicine, 2012
To examine the associations between serum homocysteine (tHcy), holotranscobalamin (holoTC, the bi... more To examine the associations between serum homocysteine (tHcy), holotranscobalamin (holoTC, the biologically active fraction of vitamin B12) and folate and cognitive functioning in a longitudinal population-based study of Finnish elderly subjects.
Neuroscience letters, Jan 29, 2012
Investigate possible associations of white matter hyperintensities (WMHs) with the metabolism of ... more Investigate possible associations of white matter hyperintensities (WMHs) with the metabolism of cholesterol and insulin in two subgroups of patients with memory complaints and different CSF Aβ42 and CSF tau levels. 59 patients from the memory clinic at Karolinska Hospital were included. Degree of WMHs was rated using the ARWMC scale and the following biomarkers were measured in CSF and plasma: insulin, cholesterol, lanosterol, lathosterol, and oxidized cholesterol metabolites. The WMHs in CSF control-like group correlated with increased brain cholesterol synthesis and reduced efflux of oxysterols and insulin in CSF. In the CSF AD-like group, the WMHs correlated with increased peripheral cholesterol metabolism. Despite having similar appearance on FLAIR images, the pathogenic mechanisms of WMHS are likely to be different in the two groups investigated.
Journal of Alzheimer's disease : JAD, 2012
The aim of this study was to investigate brain tissue volumes, grey matter (GM) distribution, and... more The aim of this study was to investigate brain tissue volumes, grey matter (GM) distribution, and cognitive performance for cognitively impaired subjects using cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarker cut-offs as grouping criteria. 41 subjects attending the Memory Clinic, Karolinska University Hospital, Huddinge, Sweden, were divided into groups based on normal or abnormal CSF levels of Aβ1-42, t-tau, and p-tau181. SIENAX algorithms were employed for brain tissue volumes estimation and voxel-based morphometry (VBM) for mapping the differences in GM patterns. VBM revealed significant lower GM volumes in temporo-parietal, occipital, and prefrontal cortices for those subjects belonging to abnormal CSF t-tau and p-tau181 groups. No differences were found between groups according to CSF Aβ1-42 cut-offs. Patients with abnormal CSF p-tau181 showed lower cognitive performance compared to those with normal levels. Patients with abnormal levels of CSF tau (but not Aβ1-42) showed an Alzheimer'...
Experimental Gerontology, 2013
Background: Vitamin E includes eight natural antioxidant compounds (four tocopherols and four toc... more Background: Vitamin E includes eight natural antioxidant compounds (four tocopherols and four tocotrienols), but α-tocopherol has been the main focus of investigation in studies of cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease. Objective: To investigate the association between serum levels of tocopherols and tocotrienols, markers of vitamin E oxidative/nitrosative damage (α-tocopherylquinone, 5-nitro-γ-tocopherol) and incidence of cognitive impairment in a population-based study. Design: A sample of 140 non-cognitively impaired elderly subjects derived from the Cardiovascular Risk Factors, Aging, and Dementia (CAIDE) study was followed-up for 8 years to detect cognitive impairment, defined as development of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or Alzheimer's dementia. The association between baseline serum vitamin E and cognitive impairment was analyzed with multiple logistic regression after adjusting for several confounders. Results: The risk of cognitive impairment was lower in subjects in the middle tertile of the γ-tocopherol/ cholesterol ratio than in those in the lowest tertile: the multiadjusted odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) was 0.27 (0.10-0.78). Higher incidence of cognitive impairment was found in the middle [OR (95% CI): 3.41 (1.29-9.06)] and highest [OR (95% CI): 2.89 (1.05-7.97)] tertiles of the 5-NO 2-γ-tocopherol/γ-tocopherol ratio. Analyses of absolute serum levels of vitamin E showed lower risk of cognitive impairment in subjects with higher levels of γ-tocopherol, β-tocotrienol, and total tocotrienols. Conclusions: Elevated levels of tocopherol and tocotrienol forms are associated with reduced risk of cognitive impairment in older adults. The association is modulated by concurrent cholesterol concentration. Various vitamin E forms might play a role in cognitive impairment, and their evaluation can provide a more accurate measure of vitamin E status in humans.
European Journal of Neurology, 2009
Background: Elevated total homocysteine (tHcy) levels may be caused by vitamin B12 deficiency and... more Background: Elevated total homocysteine (tHcy) levels may be caused by vitamin B12 deficiency and are linked to Alzheimers disease (AD) in some studies, although the evidence is mixed. Another marker of vitamin B12 deficiency, holo-transcobalamin (holo-TC), has not been studied in a prospective setting. Objective: To investigate the association between tHcy and holo-TC and the subsequent development of dementia and AD in a prospective study. Methods: A sub-sample of 228 non-demented subjects was taken from the Kungsholmen Project, a population-based longitudinal study amongst persons 75+ years. tHcy and holo-TC were analysed at baseline. Results: Increasing tHcy levels were related to an increased risk of dementia (n = 83) and AD (n = 61) after a mean follow-up time of 6.7 years. Persons with high tHcy (the fourth quartile) had more than twice as high a risk of developing AD than persons with low tHcy, even after adjusting for confounding or mediating factors. The third quartile of holo-TC was associated with a reduced risk of AD, after adjusting for Hcy and other confounders. Conclusions: These results suggest that Hcy is involved in the development of dementia and AD. The role of holo-TC was less clear and this marker needs to be studied further.
Alzheimer's & Dementia, 2011
Alzheimer's & Dementia, 2009
Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, 2020
Introduction: The association between markers of vitamin B12 status and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)... more Introduction: The association between markers of vitamin B12 status and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers of Alzheimer's type dementia which precede cognitive impairment has been investigated by only a few small studies and the results have been inconsistent.Aim: To investigate the associations of vitamin B12 related markers (vitamin B12, holotranscobalamin (HoloTC), homocysteine (tHcy), and methylmalonic acid (MMA)) with CSF total tau, Amyloid-β 42 (Aβ42) and cognitive performance.Methods: Data included 462 patients aged 40–94 years referred to the Memory Clinic at the Ulm University Hospital, Ulm, Germany between December 2009 and August 2015. Vitamin B12 and HoloTC were measured via chemiluminescence microparticle immunoassay, tHcy via chemiluminescence immunoassay and MMA via liquid chromatography mass specterometry. CERAD battery was used to examine the cognitive status, and different domains were derived. Regression models were used to investigate the associations.Resul...
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Papers by Babak Hooshmand