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Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and Longitudinal Change in Imaging and Plasma Biomarkers of Alzheimer Disease and Vascular Pathology
Michelle M. Mielke, James Russell Pike, Yifei Lü, Priya Palta, Elizabeth Selvin, Laura M. Raffield, Keenan A. Walker, Ron Cornelis Hoogeveen et al.. Carolina Digital Repository (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill), 2025-10-01
Topic: Amyloid, tau and blood-test diagnosis
Among 1,706 participants (mean age 56 years, 62% female, 28% Black), midlife NAFLD vs no NAFLD was associated with greater late-life WMH volume (difference per SD 0.19, 95% CI 0.06-0.31) and faster late-life WMH increase over 6 years (difference in annual change, SD 0.28, 95% CI 0.05-0.51), suggesting accumulating vascular pathology. Midlife NAFLD vs no NAFLD was also associated with AD biomarkers in midlife (lower Aβ42:40 [SD -0.21, 95% CI -0.39 to -0.04] measured in 1993-95) and late life (lower Aβ42:40 [SD -0.13, 95% CI -0.23 to -0.03] and lower temporal-parietal lobe cortical thickness meta ROI [SD -0.16, 95% CI -0.28 to -0.05] measured in 2011-13). Although midlife NfL was lower in individuals with vs without midlife NAFLD, those with NAFLD exhibited a faster rate of NfL increase that accelerated over time. Midlife NAFLD shows associations with AD and accumulating vascular pathology, revealing potential pathways linking liver function to dementia. Plasma biomarkers of neuropathology and neuronal injury may serve as easily measurable and dynamic indicators for monitoring the impacts of impaired liver function on brain health.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Mielke, M. M., Pike, J. R., Lü, Y., Palta, P., Selvin, E., Raffield, L. M., et al. (2025). Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and Longitudinal Change in Imaging and Plasma Biomarkers of Alzheimer Disease and Vascular Pathology. Carolina Digital Repository (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill). https://doi.org/10.17615/a2cm-m654
Vancouver
Mielke MM, Pike JR, Lü Y, Palta P, Selvin E, Raffield LM, et al. Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and Longitudinal Change in Imaging and Plasma Biomarkers of Alzheimer Disease and Vascular Pathology. Carolina Digital Repository (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill). 2025. doi:10.17615/a2cm-m654.
BibTeX
@article{mielke2025-619fe9f2,
author = {Mielke, Michelle M. and Pike, James Russell and Lü, Yifei and Palta, Priya and Selvin, Elizabeth and Raffield, Laura M. and Walker, Keenan A. and Hoogeveen, Ron Cornelis and others},
title = {{Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and Longitudinal Change in Imaging and Plasma Biomarkers of Alzheimer Disease and Vascular Pathology}},
journal = {Carolina Digital Repository (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.17615/a2cm-m654},
url = {https://doi.org/10.17615/a2cm-m654}
}
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record's author list ends in “et al.”, so not every author is named. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
Key findings
- Among 1,706 participants (mean age 56 years, 62% female, 28% Black), midlife NAFLD vs no NAFLD was associated with greater late-life WMH volume (difference per SD 0.19, 95% CI 0.06-0.31) and faster late-life WMH increase over 6 years (difference in annual change, SD 0.28, 95% CI 0.05-0.51), suggesting accumulating vascular pathology.
- Midlife NAFLD vs no NAFLD was also associated with AD biomarkers in midlife (lower Aβ42:40 [SD -0.21, 95% CI -0.39 to -0.04] measured in 1993-95) and late life (lower Aβ42:40 [SD -0.13, 95% CI -0.23 to -0.03] and lower temporal-parietal lobe cortical thickness meta ROI [SD -0.16, 95% CI -0.28 to -0.05] measured in 2011-13).
- Although midlife NfL was lower in individuals with vs without midlife NAFLD, those with NAFLD exhibited a faster rate of NfL increase that accelerated over time.
- Midlife NAFLD shows associations with AD and accumulating vascular pathology, revealing potential pathways linking liver function to dementia.
- Plasma biomarkers of neuropathology and neuronal injury may serve as easily measurable and dynamic indicators for monitoring the impacts of impaired liver function on brain health.
Why it matters
In 1,706 participants, midlife nonalcoholic fatty liver disease was linked to greater late-life white matter hyperintensity volume and faster increase over six years, as well as to Alzheimer's blood and imaging markers in midlife and late life. The authors say this reveals potential pathways linking liver function to dementia and that plasma biomarkers may help monitor the effects of impaired liver function on brain health.
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Study details
- Participants1,706
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 36/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, effect reported and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it. We have no data on journal's citation record and senior author's track record, so those were left out: it earned 33 of the 92 points we could judge it on, which is 36 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Carolina Digital Repository (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)) |
| Journal's citation record | — / 4 | No journal record from OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| 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 | 2025 — within 3 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 3 / 4 | 1,706 participants |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| 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 | 0 / 7 | Cited 0 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 0 / 5 | 0.0 citations a year over 3 year(s) since 2025 |
| Impact for its field and year | 0 / 6 | Cited 0.0× 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 | 0 / 4 | Cited 0 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | — / 4 | Senior author's record not available — left out of this score |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill: institution h-index 1,674 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 0 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 1 institution(s) in 1 country — scores zero (affiliation lists can be incomplete) |
| Indexed in PubMed | 1 / 2 | Not in PubMed, but has a DOI |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Points | 33 / 92 | Scored on 18 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 33 of the 92 points we could judge it on is 36 out of 100. |
| Total | 36 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.17615/a2cm-m654
- Original source →
- Free full text: Carolina Digital Repository (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
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