Data Feb 20, 2024
Ageless Minds: Exploring Metabolomics in Cognitive Health and Dementia
Unsurprisingly, the main risk factor for cognitive decline is age. Luckily, we are not pre-ordained to cognitive decline as we get older: there are also other factors involved, some of which we can influence. In this blog post, we share our insights on cognitive health and metabolomics by comparing previous research with Nightingale Health’s internal findings and two new pre-printed studies.
Different groups of biomarkers in our blood, including some lipids, amino acids, fatty acids and inflammation markers are associated with general cognitive health or in more serious cases, the risk of developing dementia or Alzheimer’s disease1–6. Some of these biomarkers could help with early diagnosis, but more importantly, some may help to identify individuals at high risk far enough in advance that preventative measures are still possible. Fortunately, the metabolomic profiles for different neurodegenerative and cognitive diseases seem to overlap1 , indicating that lifestyle changes could lead to reductions in disease risks across the board.
To showcase the ability of metabolomic biomarkers in predicting future disease risk, Nightingale Health’s internal science team has previously pre-printed findings using metabolomic risk scores for diseases such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and COPD. Among these diseases were also Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, for which we were able to predict future risks independent from age 7,8.
The multi-purpose MetaboHealth score
Not only Nightingale Health’s internal science team, but also a team led by researchers from the Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC) has developed such risk scores. The all-cause mortality score LUMC researchers developed⁹ includes fourteen different serum metabolomic biomarkers involved in inflammation, lipoprotein and fatty acid metabolism, glycolysis, and fluid balance. This score, later coined the MetaboHealth score, was recently used in a pre-print exploring its link with cognitive function in older adults10.
The study involved participants from the Prospective Study of Pravastatin in the Elderly (PROSPER), which focuses on older adults at risk of cardiovascular disease. The researchers examined the association between the MetaboHealth score and cognitive performance. In the study, a higher MetaboHealth score, which indicated increased metabolic disturbance, was linked to poorer cognitive function, and increased functional decline.
Figure 1. The associations between the MetaboHealth score per standard deviation and cognitive tests, as pre-printed by Zonneveld and colleagues¹⁰.