A simple urine test could reveal its risk of developing decades before the symptoms appear, according to a new study. For the study, my colleagues and I trace 130,000 people and found that proteins in the urine can act as an early warning sign for memory problems.
Our research showed that people with higher protein levels are filtered in their urine, a condition known as albuminuria, had a significantly greater possibility of developing dementia. The association was stronger for vascular dementia, the second most common form after delimer, and mixed dementia, which combines characteristics of both types.
Crucially, this connection remained true regardless of how well the kidneys of the participants in general worked. In other words, urine protein seems to predict the risk of dementia independently, even when standard renal tests seem normal.
Our findings stand out how closely the kidneys and brain are connected. Both trust in networks of small and delicate blood vessels to function properly. When these vessels are damaged, by high blood pressure, diabetes or other factors, the same damage that makes the protein filter in urine can also reduce blood flow to the brain.
Its kidneys act as filters, maintaining useful proteins in the blood while the waste is filtered. When those filters are damaged, the albumin protein begins to leak.
The brain has its own protective barrier, the blood brain barrier, made of well -packaged cells that prevent harmful substances from entering brain tissue. Just as damaged renal filters become leaks, a compromised blood brain barrier allows toxins and inflammatory molecules, which potentially triggers the changes in the brain that lead to dementia.
This discovery opens exciting possibilities for prevention. Several medications already used to protect the kidneys can also protect memory. ECA and ARB inhibitors, blood pressure drugs that reduce protein leakage, could have a double duty to brain health.
About the author
Hong Xu is an assistant professor in the clinical geriatrics division at the Karolinska Institute.
This article is published again from the conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Even the newest drugs are promises. The GLP-1 drugs, such as semaglutida inhibitors (better known as Ozempic) and SGLT2, such as Dapagliflozine, originally developed for diabetes, but also reduce protein in urine. It remains to be proven if they avoid dementia, but the early signals are encouraging.
While we still cannot prove that treating kidney problems will prevent dementia, that would require the following participants for decades in controlled trials, the biological route makes sense, particularly since the damage of blood vessels affects both organs.
An ounce of prevention
So when should I start worrying about this? Vascular damage accumulates for years, so the previous intervention is better. For most people, focusing on renal and cardiac health from the median age onwards is sensible, especially if they have diabetes, high blood pressure, kidney disease, obesity or family history of these conditions.
Currently, doctors mainly prove urine protein in people with diabetes or high blood pressure. But our findings ask questions about whether all 50 years of age should be examined, particularly those with multiple risk factors. That is a public health question that requires more research and policy discussion.
Early common symptoms of dementia
NHS
Different types of dementia can affect people differently, and all will experience symptoms in their own way.
However, there are some common early symptoms:
- memory loss
- Difficulty concentrating
- Find that it is difficult to carry out family daily tasks, such as being confused with the right change when buying
- Fighting to follow a conversation or find the right word
- be confused about time and place
- Humor changes
The good news is that you do not need to wait for new guidelines to take measures. The changes in the lifestyle that protect the kidneys also benefit the brain. Stop smoking, control blood pressure and blood sugar, eat a balanced diet and exercise regularly can reduce your risk of renal disease and dementia.
If confirmed by future studies, urine protein tests could become a standard part of dementia risk assessments. It is cheap, not invasive and can be done with simple tests of the median rod in any doctor's office.
While there is still no cure for dementia, early detection and prevention remain our best tools. Recognizing that the urine protein indicates more than just kidney problems, we may identify and protect people at risk long before memory problems begin. Sometimes, the most important clues about the future health of your brain are found in the most unlikely places.
