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Low circulating adropin concentrations predict increased risk of cognitive decline in community-dwelling older adults
Aggarwal G, Morley JE, Vellas B, Nguyen AD, Butler AA, MAPT/DSA Group.. GeroScience, 2023-05-26
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
The secreted peptide adropin is highly expressed in human brain tissues and correlates with RNA and proteomic risk indicators for dementia. Here we report that plasma adropin concentrations predict risk for cognitive decline in the Multidomain Alzheimer Preventive Trial (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier, NCT00672685; mean age 75.8y, SD = 4.5 years, 60.2% female, n = 452). Cognitive ability was evaluated using a composite cognitive score (CCS) that assessed four domains: memory, language, executive function, and orientation. Relationships between plasma adropin concentrations and changes in CCS (∆CCS) were examined using Cox Proportional Hazards Regression, or by grouping into tertiles ranked low to high by adropin values and controlling for age, time between baseline and final visits, baseline CCS, and other risk factors (e.g., education, medication, APOE4 status). Risk of cognitive decline (defined as a ∆CCS of - 0.3 or more) decreased with increasing plasma adropin concentrations (hazard ratio = 0.873, 95% CI 0.780-0.977, P = 0.018). Between adropin tertiles, ∆CCS was significantly different (P = 0.01; estimated marginal mean ± SE for the 1st to 3rd tertile, - 0.317 ± 0.064; - 0.275 ± 0.063; - 0.042 ± 0.071; n = 133,146, and 130, respectively; P 42/40 ratio and plasma neurofilament light chain, indicators of neurodegeneration, were significantly different between adropin tertile. These differences were consistent with reduced risk of cognitive decline with higher plasma adropin levels. Overall, these results suggest cognitive decline is reduced in community-dwelling older adults with higher circulating adropin levels. Further studies are needed to determine the underlying causes of the relationship and whether increasing adropin levels can delay cognitive decline.
Key findings
- Between adropin tertiles, ∆CCS was significantly different (P = 0.01; estimated marginal mean ± SE for the 1st to 3rd tertile, - 0.317 ± 0.064; - 0.275 ± 0.063; - 0.042 ± 0.071; n = 133,146, and 130, respectively; P < 0.05 for 1st vs. 2nd and 3rd adropin tertiles).
- Overall, these results suggest cognitive decline is reduced in community-dwelling older adults with higher circulating adropin levels.
Why it matters
In 452 older adults from the MAPT trial, higher plasma adropin concentrations were linked to lower risk of cognitive decline. This is an observational biomarker finding and does not show that raising adropin treats, cures or prevents Alzheimer's disease.
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Study details
- Participants452
- Effect size60.2%
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 49/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it. We have no data on senior author's track record, so that was left out: it earned 47 of the 96 points we could judge it on, which is 49 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (GeroScience) |
| Journal's citation record | 1 / 4 | GeroScience: journal h-index 83 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 4 / 5 | 2024 — within 3 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 2 / 4 | 452 participants |
| Effect reported | 2 / 3 | Effect reported as a number, without an interval or test |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (participant count stated) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 2 / 7 | Cited 13 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 2 / 5 | 3.2 citations a year over 4 year(s) since 2024 |
| Impact for its field and year | 2 / 6 | Cited 2.3× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 0 / 6 | No other study in this library cites it |
| Still being cited | 1 / 4 | Cited 11 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | — / 4 | OpenAlex's profile for last-listed author Frédéric Ricolfi holds only 5 work(s), too few to judge a track record — left out of this score |
| Institution's track record | 3 / 3 | University of Washington: institution h-index 3,540 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 3 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 24 institution(s) in 4 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 37233882) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Points | 47 / 96 | Scored on 19 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 47 of the 96 points we could judge it on is 49 out of 100. |
| Total | 49 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Aggarwal, G., Morley, J. E., Vellas, B., Nguyen, A. D., Butler, A. A., & MAPT/DSA Group. (2024). Low circulating adropin concentrations predict increased risk of cognitive decline in community-dwelling older adults. GeroScience. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11357-023-00824-3
Vancouver
Aggarwal G, Morley JE, Vellas B, Nguyen AD, Butler AA, MAPT/DSA Group. Low circulating adropin concentrations predict increased risk of cognitive decline in community-dwelling older adults. GeroScience. 2024. doi:10.1007/s11357-023-00824-3. PMID: 37233882.
BibTeX
@article{aggarwal2024-37233882,
author = {Aggarwal, G. and Morley, J. E. and Vellas, B. and Nguyen, A. D. and Butler, A. A. and {MAPT/DSA Group}},
title = {{Low circulating adropin concentrations predict increased risk of cognitive decline in community-dwelling older adults}},
journal = {GeroScience},
year = {2024},
doi = {10.1007/s11357-023-00824-3},
pmid = {37233882},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1007/s11357-023-00824-3}
}
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