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Abstract
Introduction. It is known that blood levels of natriuretic peptides associate with cognitive disorder among the middle-aged. We aimed to test whether this association is valid in an older population aged 75 years or older. Methods. A total of 601 older subjects aged 75 or older participated in the study. A subgroup of 137 with a diagnosed cognitive disorder were tested for natriuretic peptides (ANP, NT-proANP, and BNP), and compared with age-matched controls (n = 464). The control group was followed-up for 5 years, and the association of the baseline BNP with the occurrence of cognitive impairment was studied. Results. In the youngest age tertile (75–78 y), BNP was significantly associated with a diagnosed cognitive disorder when other factors with a known effect on natriuretic peptides were taken into account. In the oldest tertile (83–96 y), higher BNP values suggested the absence of cognitive dysfunction. ANP and NT-proANP did not associate with the presence of cognitive impairment. Among the control group, BNP predicted a cognitive disorder at follow-up, but only in the youngest tertile. Conclusions. The previously found link between a high BNP concentration and cognitive disorder in older people is only valid among those aged less than 79 years.
Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. This work was supported by Hilja and Onni Tuovinen Founda- tion and the P ij t-H me Regional Fund of the Finnish Cultural Foundation.