Work

Serum sodium, tonicity, and risk of dementia in cohort and healthcare populations

Year: 2026

Type: article

Study design: Observational Study

Abstract: INTRODUCTION: Identifying modifiable, accessible dementia risk factors is critical for prevention. Worldwide surveys indicate that about half of adults do not meet recommended fluid intake and may be chronically underhydrated. METHODS: We examined associations between intracellular hydration markers and dementia risk in 13,535 participants from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study and 395,802 individuals from Israel's Leumit Health Services. Serum sodium, glucose-corrected sodium, and tonicity were modeled using restricted cubic splines in adjusted Cox models of incident dementia. RESULTS: Across both cohorts, with up to 30 years of follow-up, dementia risk showed a nonlinear association with hydration markers. Risk began increasing within the mid-normal range, around 141 mmol/L for serum sodium and 287 mosmol/kg for tonicity, reaching a 1.5- to 3-fold increase at the upper end and beyond. DISCUSSION: These findings suggest hypertonic underhydration as early marker of dementia risk and support adequate water intake and glycemic control for dementia prevention.

Source: Alzheimer s & Dementia

DOI: 10.1002/alz.71725

Authors: Natalia I. Dmitrieva, Jonathan Rabinowitz, Eric S. Leifer, Delong Liu, Mona N. Bahouth, Manfred Boehm, Rebecca F. Gottesman

Institutions: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Division of Intramural Research, Bar-Ilan University, Johns Hopkins University, Johns Hopkins Medicine, National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

Language: English

Topic: Dementia and Cognitive Impairment Research

Subfield: Psychiatry and Mental health

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $4,200

Funders: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Aging, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

Awards: G1194882026, G124418500, G1518371162, G1632931450, G1773517813, G1924893021, G2103396735, G2287024733, G2339050794, G2883369658, G2991237628, G351949366, G3931319179, G3938966547, G3978702139, G421917476, G4397751285, G456869620, ARIC Neurocognitive Study (ARIC-NCS) Renewal UNC 4 of 5, G4782323294, G4819198047, G4846232932, G4961862235, ARIC Neurocognitive Study (ARIC-NCS) Renewal 4 of 5, G5104152550, G5267790454, G5364873420, G54938809, G5792112273, G583528397, G6265038979, G6418484092, ARIC Neurocognitive Study (ARIC-NCS) Renewal 2 of 5, ARIC Neurocognitive Study (ARIC-NCS), G6811927220, G7243995979, G7276788223, G748486544, G7491785057, G8008717573, G8773483559, G8946053683, G9000028535, G9000076324, Stroke, Cognition and Neuroepidemiology Section, Vascular remodeling in patients with rare genetic disorders, ARIC Neurocognitive Study (ARIC-NCS) Renewal 2023-2028

OpenAlex ID: W7203767240

FWCI: 4.713

Cites: 30

Cited by: 1

Related to: 10