Albumin and cognitive decline

Having a protein called albumin in one's urine can be a symptom of disease and new research suggests that it could also be linked to cognitive decline. Researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston studied 1,200 women over 70 who were tested on their cognition and provided urine samples. The women were assessed every two years until they had been tested three times. The women who had albumin in their urine suffered cognitive decline at a rate between two and seven times quicker than would be expected during the normal ageing process. In another study researchers from Stanford University studied 19,399 people over 3.8 years, 1,184 of whom developed cognitive impairment. The people with albumin in their urine were 31-57% more likely to develop cognitive impairment.