Missed, Undiagnosed Cirrhosis May Be Risk Factor for Cognitive Decline
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter
FRIDAY, Feb. 2, 2024 -- Missed or undiagnosed cirrhosis may be a risk factor for cognitive decline, according to a study published online Jan. 31 in JAMA Network Open.
Jasmohan S. Bajaj, M.D., from Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, and colleagues examined the prevalence and risk factors for undiagnosed cirrhosis and possible hepatic encephalopathy (HE) in veterans with dementia in a retrospective cohort study conducted between 2009 and 2019 using data from the Veterans Health Administration and two separate validation cohorts. Data were included for 177,422 U.S. veterans with dementia.
The researchers found that 5.3 and 10.3 percent of the veterans had a Fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) score greater than 3.25 and greater than 2.67, respectively. FIB-4 greater than 3.25 was associated with older age, male gender, congestive heart failure, viral hepatitis, Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test score, and chronic kidney disease in multivariable analysis (odds ratios, 1.07, 1.43, 1.48, 1.79, 1.56, and 1.11 respectively); inverse associations were seen for White race, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, stroke, tobacco use disorder, and rural residence (odds ratios, 0.79, 0.78, 0.84, 0.85, 0.78, and 0.92, respectively). For FIB-4 greater than 2.67, findings were similar. A similar percentage of high FIB-4 scores was seen on a local validation cohort of dementia patients (4.4 to 11.2 percent).
"In a national veterans cohort of patients with dementia, 5 to 10 percent of the patients have laboratory values suggestive of possible undiagnosed cirrhosis that could implicate HE as a contributor to overall cognitive impairment," the authors write.
Two authors disclosed ties to the pharmaceutical industry.
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted February 2024
Read this next
Study Looks at Links Between Cognition, Psychopathology, Weight in Preteens
WEDNESDAY, June 5, 2024 -- Lower cognition and greater psychopathology at baseline are associated with increased weight gain for children entering adolescence, according to a...
Odds of Death Lower With Surgery for Hip Fracture in Patients With Dementia
MONDAY, June 3, 2024 -- For community-dwelling patients with dementia and fracture of the femoral head and neck, the odds of death are lower for those treated surgically...
Preeclampsia Linked to Increased Risk for Young-Onset Dementia
FRIDAY, May 31, 2024 -- Individuals with preeclampsia have an increased risk for young-onset dementia, according to a research letter published online May 30 in JAMA Network...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.