Biomedical subjects

Sandra K Pope

Publications and source records attributed to Sandra K Pope.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Myeloperoxidase polymorphism and cognitive decline in older adults in the Health, Aging, and Body Composition Study.

Myeloperoxidase, an antimicrobial enzyme, produces oxidative free radicals. Rarely found in normal brain tissue, myeloperoxidase has been detected in microglia associated with Alzheimer's disease plaques. The authors examined a G-463A polymorphism in the promoter region of the myeloperoxidase gene (MPO) to determine the relation of MPO variants to cognitive decline over 4 years in a cohort of adults, aged 70-79 years at baseline (1997-1998), recruited from Memphis, Tennessee, and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, into the Health, Aging, and Body Composition Study. In this sample, 8% of the participants had the AA, 36.9% the AG, and 55.2% the GG genotype of MPO. The frequency of AA and AG genotypes was higher in Blacks than Whites (11.2% vs. 5.9%, and 44.1% vs. 32.9%, respectively). Multivariate logistic regression analyses showed that, for participants with the MPO AA genotype, cognitive decline was 1.58 (95% confidence interval: 1.07, 2.35) times more likely than for participants with the AG genotype and 1.96 (95% confidence interval: 1.33, 2.88) times more likely than for those with the GG genotype. Interactions between MPO and race, sex, or the apolipoprotein gene were not significant. In this sample, MPO AA, associated with decreased production of myeloperoxidase, was found to be a risk factor for cognitive decline.

Aged↗

PubMed2004

Black and white differences in cognitive function test scores: what explains the difference?

Several studies have reported that older black and Latino adults have lower cognitive function test scores than older white adults, but few have comprehensively examined reasons for score differences. This study evaluates whether differences in health and socioeconomic indicators, including literacy level, can explain differences in cognitive function test scores between older black and white adults.

Black or African American↗

PubMed2001

Will a healthy lifestyle help prevent Alzheimer's disease?

Alzheimer's disease (AD) appears to resemble other chronic diseases, whereby a myriad of interconnected factors, including those associated with lifestyle, are involved in disease development. In this paper, we examine accepted and proposed risk factors for AD and explore health behaviors, including diet, exercise, prevention of injury, and cognitive stimulation, that may help prevent AD. Adherence to a healthy lifestyle may directly protect against AD or may prevent diseases associated with AD, such as vascular disease and diabetes. A healthy lifestyle to prevent AD may be important throughout life rather than after disease manifestation and may be particularly relevant if other factors, such as genetic predisposition, also increase risk of AD. If changes in lifestyle can help prevent AD by reducing modifiable risk factors, this knowledge can aid individuals who wish to take action to protect themselves and their families from the disease.

Aged↗