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Alzheimer’s disease risk significantly reduced among older NMSC patients

Patients aged 70 years or older with nonmelanoma skin cancer had a significantly reduced risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease compared with patients without the skin disease, according to recent study results.

Using an epidemiologic, longitudinal study of aging in New York City, researchers evaluated 1,102 volunteers (mean age at enrollment, 79 years). Participants were assessed annually, and multidisciplinary diagnostic consensus was determined. Self-reports were used to gather cancer status and type. Associations between nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC) and subsequent risk for developing a neurocognitive disorder were tested by Cox proportional hazards.

“To deduce a biologically specific association between Alzheimer’s disease [AD] and NMSC, we considered three nested outcomes groups: only AD (probably or possible AD as the sole diagnosis), any AD (probable AD or possible AD, as well as mixed AD/vascular dementia), and all-cause dementia,” the researchers reported.

After adjusting for demographics, diabetes, hypertension and coronary heart disease, prevalent NMSC was associated with risk for only AD (HR=0.21; 95% CI, 0.051-0.87). Seven hundred sixty-nine participants displayed APOE e4 genotypes. When researchers included the number of APOE e4 alleles in the model, there was a similar but nonsignificant association in magnitude. NMSC and subsequent development of any AD or all-cause dementia showed no significant association.

“We deduce [Alzheimer’s]-specific neuroprotection, because the effect is attenuated or eliminated when considering less-specific diagnoses such as AD with another diagnosis (any AD) or all-cause dementia,” the researchers concluded.

Disclosure: See the study for a full list of relevant disclosures.