Metabolic Syndrome and Its Biomarkers in the Development and Progression of Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementias

Abstract

Metabolic syndrome is a condition that includes several components which, individually and together, are steadily increasing in prevalence worldwide. These include obesity, dyslipidemia, hyperglycemia, and hypertension. On the other hand, Alzheimer's disease, one of the family of dementias, is considered a disease of the elderly, whose numbers are also increasing. However, it has been found that the presence of the components of metabolic syndrome in earlier life, especially middle age, increases the risk of Alzheimer's disease, although it has recently been suggested that these components may begin the progression to dementia as early as adolescence. The full pathophysiology of Alzheimer's and the mechanisms by which metabolic syndrome affects it are not fully understood to date. The present chapter examines the association between metabolic syndrome and Alzheimer's disease and the association between the components of metabolic syndrome and Alzheimer's. The authors also represent the genetic involvement in this association, since various genes have been found to be common to both disorders.