Uric Acid and Cognitive Function in Older Individuals

Hyperuricemia has been recognized as an independent cardiovascular risk factor in epidemiological studies. However, uric acid can also exert beneficial functions due to its antioxidant properties, which may be particularly relevant in the context of neurodegenerative diseases. In this paper, we crit...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Nutrients 2018-07, Vol.10 (8), p.975
Main Authors:	Tana, Claudio, Ticinesi, Andrea, Prati, Beatrice, Nouvenne, Antonio, Meschi, Tiziana
Format:	Article
Language:	eng
Subjects:	Alzheimer’s Antioxidants Cardiovascular diseases cognition Cognitive ability Dementia Dementia disorders Disease Epidemiology Etiology Health risks Heterogeneity Hyperuricemia Malnutrition Neurological diseases Neuroprotection Parkinson's disease Parkinson’s Population studies Review Risk analysis Risk factors Uric acid Vascular dementia
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Summary:	Hyperuricemia has been recognized as an independent cardiovascular risk factor in epidemiological studies. However, uric acid can also exert beneficial functions due to its antioxidant properties, which may be particularly relevant in the context of neurodegenerative diseases. In this paper, we critically revise the evidence on the relationship between serum uric acid levels and cognitive function in older individuals, focusing on the etiology of cognitive impairment (Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's dementia, and vascular dementia) and on the interactive connections between uric acid, dementia, and diet. Despite high heterogeneity in the existing studies, due to different characteristics of studied populations and methods of cognitive dysfunction assessment, we conclude that serum uric acid may modulate cognitive function in a different way according to the etiology of dementia. Current studies indeed demonstrate that uric acid may exert neuroprotective actions in Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's dementia, with hypouricemia representing a risk factor for a quicker disease progression and a possible marker of malnutrition. Conversely, high serum uric acid may negatively influence the disease course in vascular dementia. Further studies are needed to clarify the physio-pathological role of uric acid in different dementia types, and its clinical-prognostic significance.
ISSN:	2072-6643 2072-6643