Predictive value of platelet activation for the rate of cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease patients

Vascular risk factors contribute to the progression of dementia in Alzheimer's disease ( AD) and influence platelet activation. However, the degree of platelet activation as a possible underlying mechanism of this progression has not been studied till now. Significantly higher baseline expression of both platelet activation biomarkers, activated glycoprotein IIb-IIIa complex and P-selectin, was observed in patients with AD with fast cognitive decline compared with AD patients with slow cognitive decline during a 1-year follow-up period. These results suggest that platelet activation could be a putative prognostic biomarker for the rate of cognitive decline and a potential new treatment target in AD patients. Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow & Metabolism (2010) 30, 1817-1820; doi:10.1038/jcbfm.2010.140; published online 18 August 2010