Epidemiological of and risk factors for Alzheimer's disease: a review.

BACKGROUND: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia. It is a degenerative, incurable and terminal disease. The increasing prevalence of AD is, among other reasons, due to population aging, which is, to a certain extent, seen worldwide. Continuous advances in health care keep increasing life expectancy. Official statistics are likely to significantly underestimate the actual prevalence of AD. Alzheimer's disease represents an important public health problem. Its aetiology is still unknown and for this reason, it is necessary to study all potential risk factors which may contribute to the development of this disease. METHODS: We searched original and review articles addressing Alzheimer's disease using key words Alzheimer's disease, epidemiology, risk factors and prevention. We found and used one hundred and four references. CONCLUSIONS: Based on epidemiological studies, genetic studies, neuroimaging methods and neuropathology research, three basic etiological hypotheses of the development of AD have been formulated: genetic, vascular and psychosocial. At present, the level of evidence is insufficient for the etiological role of other factors, such as nutrition, occupational exposure to various substances and inflammation. From the point of view of early diagnosis and application of primary or secondary prevention principles, genetic factors are the most important.

Ghrelin variants influence development of body mass index and plasma levels of total cholesterol in dialyzed patients.

BACKGROUND: Ghrelin is an endogenous hormone expressed predominantly in the stomach. Ghrelin controls growth hormone secretion and also affects the body's energy balance. We analyzed the association of ghrelin variants with body mass index (BMI), albumin as a marker of malnutrition and plasma lipids as risk factors for atherosclerosis in hemodialyzed patients, in whom malnutrition and accelerated atherosclerosis are common complications. METHODS: Ghrelin variants Arg51>Gln and Leu72> Met were analyzed by PCR-RFLP in 210 hemodialyzed patients, prospectively followed up for 15 months. Changes in body mass index, triglycerides, total cholesterol and albumin over time (after 3, 6, 9, 12 and 15 months of dialysis) were analyzed in subgroups divided according to ghrelin genotypes. RESULTS: Carriers of at least one of the Gln51 and Met72 alleles lost body weight more quickly than Arg51Arg/Leu72Leu homozygotes (p<0.01). Carriers of the Gln51 allele were at higher risk of developing high cholesterol levels (p<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Common ghrelin variants may have an effect on changes in biochemical and anthropometric parameters in hemodialyzed patients over time and could be used in the future to plan individualized therapy.