Preventing Alzheimer's Disease and Cognitive Decline

727 Pages·2010·4.44 MB·English

Evidence Report/Technology Assessment
Number 193

Preventing Alzheimer’s Disease and Cognitive Decline

Prepared for:
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
540 Gaither Road
Rockville, MD 20850
www.ahrq.gov

Contract No. HHSA 290-2007-10066-I

Prepared by:
Duke Evidence-based Practice Center
Durham, North Carolina

Authors:
John W. Williams, M.D., M.P.H.
Brenda L. Plassman, Ph.D.
James Burke, M.D, Ph.D.
Tracey Holsinger, M.D.
Sophiya Benjamin, M.D.

AHRQ Publication No. 10-E005
April 2010
This report is based on research conducted by the Duke Evidence-based Practice Center (EPC)
under contract to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), Rockville, MD
(Contract No. HHSA 290-2007-10066-I). The findings and conclusions in this document are
those of the author(s), who are responsible for its contents, and do not necessarily represent the
views of AHRQ. No statement in this report should be construed as an official position of AHRQ
or of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The information in this report is intended to help clinicians, employers, policymakers, and others
make informed decisions about the provision of health care services. This report is intended as a
reference and not as a substitute for clinical judgment.

This report may be used, in whole or in part, as the basis for development of clinical practice
guidelines and other quality enhancement tools, or as a basis for reimbursement and coverage
policies. AHRQ or U.S. Department of Health and Human Services endorsement of such
derivative products may not be stated or implied.
This document is in the public domain and may be used and reprinted without permission except
those copyrighted materials noted for which further reproduction is prohibited without the
specific permission of copyright holders.

Suggested Citation:
Williams JW, Plassman BL, Burke J, Holsinger T, Benjamin S. Preventing Alzheimer’s Disease
and Cognitive Decline. Evidence Report/Technology Assessment No. 193. (Prepared by the
Duke Evidence-based Practice Center under Contract No. HHSA 290-2007-10066-I.) AHRQ
Publication No. 10-E005. Rockville, MD: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. April
2010.

No investigators have any affiliations or financial involvement (e.g., employment,
consultancies, honoraria, stock options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or
pending, or royalties) that conflict with material presented in this report.

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Preface

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), through its Evidence-Based
Practice Centers (EPCs), sponsors the development of evidence reports and technology
assessments to assist public- and private-sector organizations in their efforts to improve the
quality of health care in the United States. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of
Medical Applications of Research (OMAR) requested and provided funding for this report. The
reports and assessments provide organizations with comprehensive, science-based information
on common, costly medical conditions and new health care technologies. The EPCs
systematically review the relevant scientific literature on topics assigned to them by AHRQ and
conduct additional analyses when appropriate prior to developing their reports and assessments.
To bring the broadest range of experts into the development of evidence reports and health
technology assessments, AHRQ encourages the EPCs to form partnerships and enter into
collaborations with other medical and research organizations. The EPCs work with these partner
organizations to ensure that the evidence reports and technology assessments they produce will
become building blocks for health care quality improvement projects throughout the Nation. The
reports undergo peer review prior to their release.
AHRQ expects that the EPC evidence reports and technology assessments will inform
individual health plans, providers, and purchasers as well as the health care system as a whole by
providing important information to help improve health care quality.
We welcome comments on this evidence report. They may be sent by mail to the Task Order
Officer named below at: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, 540 Gaither Road,
Rockville, MD 20850, or by e-mail to [email protected].

Carolyn M. Clancy, M.D. Jean Slutsky, P.A., M.S.P.H.
Director Director, Center for Outcomes and Evidence
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality

Jennifer Crossman, M.D. Beth A. Collins Sharp, Ph.D., R.N.
Acting Director Director, EPC Program
National Institutes of Health (NIH) Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
Office of Medical Applications of Research
(OMAR)
Steven Fox, M.D, S.M., M.P.H
EPC Program Task Order Officer
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank the following individuals: for help with literature search and retrieval,
Connie Schardt; for statistical support, Victor Hasselblad, Ph.D.; for assistance in the preparation
of evidence tables, Remy Coeytaux, M.D., Ph.D.; Jennifer McDuffie, Ph.D.; Ravi Dhurjati,
D.Phil.; Carolina Aponte Urdaneta, M.D.; and Katie Dore, P.A-C.; for project management,
Julian Irvine, M.C.M.; for editorial assistance, Rebecca Gray, D.Phil.; and for research
assistance, Alice Thacher and Vincent Miller.

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Structured Abstract

Objectives: To assess whether previous research on purported risk or protective factors for
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and cognitive decline is of sufficient strength to warrant specific
recommendations for behavioral, lifestyle, or pharmaceutical interventions/modifications
targeted to these endpoints.

Data Sources: MEDLINE® and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. Additional
studies were identified from reference lists and technical experts.

Review Methods: A group of experts in the field developed the list of factors to be evaluated in
preparation for an upcoming National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Medical Applications
of Research (OMAR) State-of-the-Science Conference addressing the prevention of AD and
cognitive decline. We grouped the factors into the following categories: nutritional factors,
medical conditions and prescription and non-prescription medications,
social/economic/behavioral factors, toxic environmental factors, and genetics. Outcomes of
interest were the development of AD or cognitive decline. Both observational and intervention
studies were evaluated. Studies were evaluated for eligibility and quality, and data were
abstracted on study design, demographics, intervention or predictor factor, and cognitive
outcomes.

Results: A total of 25 systematic reviews and 250 primary research studies were included. Only
a few factors showed a consistent association with AD or cognitive decline across multiple
studies, including both observational studies and randomized controlled trials (when available).
Such factors associated with increased risk of AD and cognitive decline were: diabetes, epsilon
4 allele of the apolipoprotein E gene (APOE e4), smoking, and depression. Factors showing a
fairly consistent association with decreased risk of AD and cognitive decline were: cognitive
engagement and physical activities. A consistent association does not imply that findings were
robust, as the data were often limited, and the quality of evidence was typically low. In addition,
the modification of risk for reported associations was typically small to moderate for AD, and
small for cognitive decline. Some of the factors that did not show an association with AD or
cognitive decline in this review may still play an influential role in late-life cognition, but there
was not sufficient evidence to draw this conclusion. Many of the factors evaluated are not
amenable to randomization, so rigorous observational studies are required to assess their effect
on AD and cognitive decline.

Conclusions: The current research on the list of putative risk or protective factors is largely
inadequate to confidently assess their association with AD or cognitive decline. Further research
that addresses the limitations of existing studies is needed prior to be able to make
recommendations on interventions.

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Contents
Executive Summary............................................................................................................... 1

Evidence Report................................................................................................................... 11

Chapter 1. Introduction.......................................................................................................... 13
Scope of the Problem....................................................................................................... 13
Risk Factors for Alzheimer’s Disease and Cognitive Decline......................................... 14
Purpose of this Evidence Report...................................................................................... 15
Role of the Technical Expert Panel................................................................................. 15
Organization of this Report.............................................................................................. 16

Chapter 2. Methods................................................................................................................ 17
Introduction...................................................................................................................... 17
Key Questions.................................................................................................................. 17
Analytic Framework........................................................................................................ 19
Literature Review Methods.............................................................................................. 19
Peer Review Process........................................................................................................ 23

Chapter 3. Results.................................................................................................................. 25
Literature Search Results................................................................................................. 25
Measurement of Cognitive Outcomes............................................................................. 29
Key Question 1 – Factors Associated with Reduction of Risk of
Alzheimer’s Disease...................................................................................................... 30
Key Question 2 – Factors Associated with Reduction of Risk of
Cognitive Decline..........................................................................................................141
Key Question 3 – Interventions to Delay the Onset of Alzheimer’s Disease..................261
Key Question 4 – Interventions to Improve or Maintain Cognitive
Ability or Function.........................................................................................................267
Key Question 5 – Relationships Between Factors Affecting Alzheimer’s Disease
and Cognitive Decline....................................................................................................284
Key Question 6 – Future Research Needs.......................................................................295

Chapter 4. Discussion............................................................................................................303

Chapter 5. Conclusions..........................................................................................................307

References Cited in the Evidence Report..............................................................................311

Acronyms and Abbreviations................................................................................................325

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