Higher plasma adiponectin, a protein involved in the inflammatory pathways, was associated with neuroimaging and cognitive outcomes among women, according to a recent study. Multivariable adjusted regression models were used to investigate the link between plasma adiponection and hippocampal volume (HVa), elevated amyloid, cortical thickness, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and neuropsychological test performance. Analyses included 535 non-demented participants aged ≥70 enrolled in the Mayo Clinic Study of Aging. They found:

• Women had higher adiponectin than men (12,631 ng/mL vs 8,908 ng/mL).

• Among women, higher adiponectin was associated with smaller HVa, poorer performance in language, global cognition, and greater odds of an MCI diagnosis.

• In analyses stratified by sex and elevated amyloid, among women with elevated amyloid, higher adiponectin was associated with smaller HVa, poorer performance in memory, language, global cognition, and greater odds of MCI.

Citation: Wennberg AM, Gustafson D, Hagen CE, et al. Serum adiponectin levels, neuroimaging, and cognition in the Mayor Clinic Study of Aging. [Published online ahead of print May 4, 2016]. J Alzheimers Dis. doi:10.3233/JAD-151201.