Khaberni - A new study has shown that a simple urine test may reveal the risk of dementia decades before symptoms appear, as researchers found that the presence of a certain protein in the urine may be an early warning sign indicating memory problems.
The study was conducted by researchers from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, and its results were published in the Journal of Internal Medicine on September 23, and reported by The Independent.
Although aging remains the biggest risk factor for dementia, researchers have shown that diseases in other parts of the body, such as the kidneys, can also affect brain health.
In the new study, by tracking samples from 130,000 people over the age of 65 who were not diagnosed with dementia at the beginning of the study, researchers demonstrated that individuals with higher levels of albumin protein leaking into the urine, a condition known as albuminuria, are more at risk of developing dementia in later stages of their lives.
This connection was strongest in the case of vascular dementia, the second most common form of dementia after Alzheimer's disease, which often occurs due to stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes, or other vascular diseases, and in the case of mixed dementia, which combines features of vascular dementia and Alzheimer's disease.
It was shown that the validity of this connection does not depend on how well the kidney functions in the participants, meaning that the presence of the protein in the urine independently predicts the risk of developing dementia, even if the standard kidney tests appear normal.
The Kidneys, Brain, and Shared Vessels
Dr. Hong Shu, Assistant Professor in the Department of Neuroscience and Care Science at Karolinska Institute in Sweden explains, "The kidneys and the brain may seem like completely different organs, but they rely on a network of delicate and sensitive blood vessels to function properly, and when blood vessels in the kidneys are damaged due to protein leakage into the urine, blood flow to the brain can also decrease."
The kidneys act as filters in the body, maintaining beneficial proteins in the blood and filtering out waste. When these filters are damaged, albumin protein begins to leak.
On the other hand, the brain has its own protective barrier, called the blood-brain barrier, made up of tightly packed cells that prevent harmful substances in the blood from entering the brain. Just as damaged kidney filters allow proteins to leak into the urine, a damaged blood-brain barrier allows toxins and inflammatory molecules to pass through to the brain tissue, increasing the risk of vascular damage, inflammation, and the accumulation of harmful proteins associated with dementia over time.
This discovery opens promising avenues for the prevention of diseases and preventing damage in the body, as many drugs already used to protect the kidneys may also protect memory. These drugs that reduce protein leakage like blood pressure medications, can serve a dual role in maintaining brain health.
Newly developed drugs like Ozempic, originally used to treat diabetes, also reduce protein levels in the urine, and further research is needed to prove whether these drugs can prevent dementia, but early indicators support this.
Early Intervention is the Best Option
Vascular damage accumulates over the years, therefore early intervention is the best option. Paying attention to kidney and heart health in midlife and beyond makes sense, especially for those with diabetes, high blood pressure, kidney diseases, or obesity, or those with a genetic predisposition to these conditions.
Doctors are currently working to make urine protein testing a standard procedure for people with diabetes or high blood pressure, but the study's findings raise questions about whether screening should be done for everyone over the age of 50, especially those with multiple risk factors.
On the other hand, there's no need to wait for new guidelines to take necessary actions to ensure brain safety, as lifestyle changes that protect the kidneys also benefit the brain. Quitting smoking, controlling blood pressure and blood sugar levels, maintaining a balanced diet, and exercising regularly, all reduce the risk of kidney diseases and dementia.
Urine protein testing could become an essential part of dementia risk assessments if future studies confirm these findings, as it is a simple, inexpensive test that requires no surgical intervention and can be done in any clinic.
Early detection and prevention of dementia remain the best possible actions at the current time, given the lack of appropriate treatment for the disease.
It will become possible to identify at-risk individuals and protect them long before they experience memory problems by recognizing that the protein in the urine indicates more than just kidney issues.
