Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 18, 2026

Evaluation of the Cognitive Performance of Hypertensive Patients with Silent Cerebrovascular Lesions
Published on: April 23, 2021
Serum inflammatory proteins and cognitive decline in older persons
1Institute for Research in Extramural Medicine, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. mg.dik@vumc.nl
Objective:
To assess whether serum levels of the inflammatory proteins alpha(1)-antichymotrypsin (ACT), C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and albumin are associated with cognitive decline in older persons.
Methods:
The study sample consisted of 1,284 participants in the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam, aged 62 to 85 years. Cognition was assessed on general cognition (Mini-Mental State Examination [MMSE]), memory (Auditory Verbal Learning Test), fluid intelligence (Raven's Colored Progressive Matrices), and information-processing speed (Coding Task) at baseline and at 3-year follow-up.
Results:
The highest tertile of ACT was associated with an increased risk of decline on the MMSE (age-, sex-, education-adjusted odds ratio [OR] 1.60; 95% CI: 1.05 to 2.43) but not on any other cognitive test score. CRP, IL-6, and albumin were not associated with cognitive decline on any cognitive test in our study.
Conclusions:
This population-based study showed that the serum inflammatory protein alpha1-antichymotrypsin is associated with cognitive decline in older persons, whereas C-reactive protein, interleukin-6, and albumin are not.
Related Concept Videos
Cognitive Development During Adulthood
Alzheimer Disease l: Introduction
Dementia l: Introduction
Alzheimer's Disease: Overview
The clinical diagnosis of AD hinges on the presence of memory and other cognitive impairments. Biomarkers, such as changes in Aβ and tau...
Blood Studies for Cardiovascular System II: CRP, Hcy, and Cardiac Natriuretic Peptide Markers
These markers indicate stress or strain on the heart muscle:
Natriuretic Peptides (BNP)
Cardiac myocytes produce these hormones in response to ventricular stretching...
