Both high and low hemoglobin levels can cause an increased risk of developing dementia, according to findings from a large population-based study.
Researchers discovered that those with anemia were 41% more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease and 34% more likely to develop any dementia type compared to people who were not anemic. Those with high hemoglobin were also at greater risk of developing dementia, the study showed.
Serum hemoglobin was measured in 12,305 participants. More than 1,500 participants developed dementia during a mean follow-up of 12 years; of those, 1,194 had Alzheimer’s.
The study also evaluated imaging markers of vascular brain disease, structural connectivity and cerebral perfusion in 5,319 participants without dementia who had magnetic resonance imaging of the brain. Similar to dementia risk, volume of white matter hyperintensities and structural connectivity was worse in those with abnormal hemoglobin levels.
Abnormal hemoglobin levels are commonly seen in the elderly. Chronic disease and iron deficiency are most commonly attributed to anemia (low hemoglobin) in seniors, but deficiencies in vitamin B12 and folate can also be a factor, as can gastrointestinal bleeding and myelodysplastic syndrome. Lung diseases, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, emphysema or pulmonary fibrosis, and heart disease are commonly tied to high hemoglobin levels in the elderly.
The study was published in the journal Neurology.
