Cognitive decline is related to high blood glucose levels in older Chinese adults with the ApoE ε3/ε3 genotype

Qi Qiu†,
Xiang Lin†,
Lin Sun,
Min-jie Zhu,
Tao Wang,
Jing-hua Wang,
Guan-jun Li,
Shi-fu XiaoEmail author and
Xia LiEmail author

†Contributed equally

Translational Neurodegeneration20198:12

https://doi.org/10.1186/s40035-019-0151-2

Received: 15 June 2018
Accepted: 18 March 2019
Published: 3 April 2019

Abstract

Background

Few studies have investigated the effects of blood glucose (BG) on cognitive function in community-dwelling elderly individuals carrying the apolipoprotein E (APOE) ε3 allele.

Objective

To explore the effect of high BG levels on cognitive function in APOE ε3-carrying, non-demented, community-dwelling older adults, as compared to their counterparts carrying the APOE ε4 or APOE ε2 alleles.

Methods

Within the China Longitudinal Ageing Study, we recruited 282 elderly adults without dementia. Data collected included demographic information; psychological measures; laboratory test results, including BG and plasma lipid levels; and APOE genotypes. We divided the participants into APOE ε2(ε2/ε2, ε2/ε3), ε3(ε3/ε3), and ε4(ε3/ε4, ε4/ε4) groups. Partial correlation analyses and multivariate linear regression analyses were utilized to compare the cognitive function and laboratory data between the APOE groups. White matter hyperintensity (WMH) was measured on magnetic resonance images in 77 participants.

Results

With adjustment for age, sex, education, and diabetes, higher BG in non-demented community-dwelling older adults was associated with cognitive decline in immediate memory and executive function. In the APOE ε3 group, elevated BG was associated with cognitive decline in immediate memory, executive function, and perceptual reasoning. In the APOE ε4 group, higher BG was also correlated with a decline in abstract reasoning. There was a trend for association between higher BG and more severe WMHs.