Dementia Hazard Ratio Research Articles

Homocysteine and folate as risk factors for dementia and Alzheimer disease

In cross-sectional studies, elevated plasma total homocysteine (tHcy) concentrations have been associated with cognitive impairment and dementia. Incidence studies of this issue are few and have produced conflicting results. We investigated the relation between high plasma tHcy concentrations and risk of dementia and Alzheimer disease (AD) in an elderly population. A dementia-free cohort of 816 subjects (434 women and 382 men; mean age: 74 y) from an Italian population-based study constituted our study sample. The relation of baseline plasma tHcy to the risk of newly diagnosed dementia and AD on follow-up was examined. A proportional hazards regression model was used to adjust for age, sex, education, apolipoprotein E genotype, vascular risk factors, and serum concentrations of folate and vitamin B-12. Over an average follow-up of 4 y, dementia developed in 112 subjects, including 70 who received a diagnosis of AD. In the subjects with hyperhomocysteinemia (plasma tHcy > 15 micromol/L), the hazard ratio for dementia was 2.08 (95% CI: 1.31, 3.30; P = 0.002). The corresponding hazard ratio for AD was 2.11 (95% CI: 1.19, 3.76; P = 0.011). Independently of hyperhomocysteinemia and other confounders, low folate concentrations (< or = 11.8 nmol/L) were also associated with an increased risk of both dementia (1.87; 95% CI: 1.21, 2.89; P = 0.005) and AD (1.98; 95% CI: 1.15, 3.40; P = 0.014), whereas the association was not significant for vitamin B-12. Elevated plasma tHcy concentrations and low serum folate concentrations are independent predictors of the development of dementia and AD.

Are sex and educational level independent predictors of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease? Incidence data from the PAQUID project

OBJECTIVESTo examine the age specific risk of Alzheimer’s disease according to sex, and to explore the role of education in a cohort of elderly community residents aged 65 years and...

Mycotic keratitis in Nigeria. A study of 21 cases.

A clinical and mycological study of 21 cases of mycotic keratitis, a clinical entity not yet reported from Nigeria or West Africa, showed that Fusarium solani was the predominant aetiological agent. It was isolated from 12 cases. Four of the remaining nine cases were caused by Aspergillus fumigatus, one by A. flavus, two by Penicillium citrinum, and one each by P. expansum and Penicillium sp. All the 12 isolates of F. solani grew well at 37 degrees C and survived at 40 degrees C. Two cases, one due to F. solani and the other to A. fumigatus, were accompanied by panophthalmitis.