Sunday April 12, 2015 (foodconsumer.org) -- Impaired renal function has been associated with cognitive impairment.  A new study in Alzheimer Disease & Associated Disorders has now found that mid-life proteinuria is a predictor for late-life cognitive dysfunction or dementia in elderly Asian men.The study found the age-adjusted incidence of dementia was 13.8, 22.8 and 39.7 per 1000 person years among men with no, trace and positive mid-life proteinuria, respectively.The data used for the study came from 8006 Japanese-American men aged 45 to 68 years enrolled in the Honolulu Heart Program in 1965.  Mid-life proteinuria was detected in 1971 to 1974 and cognitive assessment was conducted 20 years later in 3,734 men using the Cognitive Abilities Screening Instrument (CASI).After adjustment for age, education, APOE[epsilon]4, physical activity, and health conditions including stroke, hypertension, systolic blood pressure, diabetes mellitus, fasting blood glucose, and baseline CASI, men with positive proteinuria had significant changes in CASI during a 8-year follow-up, compared with those without proteinuria.Men with positive proteinuria were found 166% more likely to be diagnosed with incident all-cause dementia.    But positive proteinuria was not significantly associated with incident Alzheimer's disease - the major form of dementia or vascular dementia.The study concluded "Mid-life proteinuria was an independent predictor for late-life incident all-cause dementia and cognitive decline over 8 years."Proteinuria can be caused through several mechanisms.  Kidney disease, increased concentrations of protein in the blood (overflow proteinuria) and low re-adsorption of protein at proximal tubule, which is  is the portion of the duct system of the nephron of the kidney (Fanconi syndrome).  Certain drugs such as bevacizumab (Avastin) and excessive intake of fluid such as more than 4 liters of water per day can also cause proteinuria.Proteinuria can be a sign of many diseases and conditions including but not limited to kidney diseases, pre-eclampsia, eclampsia, amyloidosis, dehydration, glomerular diseases, strenuous exercise, stress, sarcoidosis, diabetes mellitus, infections, adverse effects of drugs including NSAIDs, nicotine, penicillamine, lithium carbonate, ACE inhibitors and antibiotics. (David Liu, Ph.D.)Higuchi, Masaya MD; Chen, Randi MS; Abbott, Robert D. PhD; Bell, Christina MD; Launer, Lenore PhD; Ross, G. Webster MD; Petrovitch, Helen MD; Masaki, Kamal MD,  Mid-Life Proteinuria and Late-Life Cognitive Function and Dementia in Elderly Men: The Honolulu-Asia Aging Study.  Alzheimer Disease & Associated Disorders, 2015More articles  on dementia

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