Reduced plasma desmosterol-to-cholesterol ratio and longitudinal cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease.
Level 3 - non-randomized controlled study
Non-randomized longitudinal and cross-sectional cohort study
PubMed 27239493 · doi:10.1016/j.dadm.2014.11.009
What was done
Researchers measured the plasma desmosterol-to-cholesterol ratio (DES/CHO) in Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients versus age-matched controls using a Japanese cross-sectional cohort. They also evaluated baseline and follow-up plasma DES/CHO levels relative to cognitive decline (measured by Mini-Mental State Examination, MMSE) in two longitudinal cohorts from Japan and Sweden.
What was found
Plasma DES/CHO was significantly lower in Japanese AD patients compared to controls and significantly correlated with baseline MMSE scores. Longitudinally, plasma DES/CHO decreased significantly over follow-up in AD patients, with greater decreases in rapidly progressing patients than slowly progressing ones. Changes in DES/CHO significantly correlated with changes in MMSE scores. The abstract provides no specific numerical values, correlation coefficients, or p-values.
Why it matters
These findings suggest that peripheral cholesterol synthesis markers such as desmosterol may track with neurodegenerative progression, highlighting potential utility as a blood-based biomarker for monitoring cognitive decline in AD.
Limits
The abstract omits sample sizes, participant demographics, follow-up duration, and exact statistical figures (effect sizes, confidence intervals, or p-values). As an observational association, it cannot establish a causal mechanism between altered desmosterol metabolism and cognitive deterioration.
Cited by
- partial Research data indicate that when desmosterol levels are very low, the risk of Alzheimer's disease and all-cause dementia increases.