Uric acid and late-onset Alzheimer's disease: results from the ReGAl 2.0 project

It has been suggested that oxidative stress may have a role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Serum uric acid (UA) could exert neuroprotective effects via its antioxidant capacities. Many studies investigated serum UA levels in subjects with AD, but to date, results are conflicting and evidence in old age subjects is weak.

In this study, we assess whether serum UA levels would be altered in the AD old age subjects compared to those of initial cognitive impairment and healthy controls.

This is a retrospective study with data gathered from the ReGAl 2.0 project (Rete Geriatrica Alzheimer-Geriatric Network on Alzheimer's disease), a large Italian multicentric clinical-based study. A cohort of 232 subjects, including 65 (healthy controls HC), 95 mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and 72 AD, were included in the study. Serum UA was measured in all subjects by routine laboratory method.

The sample population includes 232 subjects, mostly women with a mean age of 79.16 ± 5.64 (range 66-93) years. No significant difference was found in gender distribution between groups. No significant correlation was found in all populations between age and uric acid levels. AD group had significantly lower UA levels as compared with HC. The association of uric acid with AD presence after adjusting for age, gender, body mass index (BMI) and creatinine levels showed that uric acid level was independently associated with the diagnosis of AD.

These data indicate that serum UA is reduced in AD, supporting that UA may have a potential protective role against AD in old age.