photo of Jose Luchsinger, M.D. Jose A. Luchsinger, M.D.
Assistant Professor, Medicine
 Email: jal94@columbia.edu
Tel: (212) 305-4730
Fax: (212) 305-9349
I am interested in the relationship between cardiovascular risk factors and Alzheimer’s disease. Cardiovascular disease is the main cause of death in the Western World, and there is conflicting data relating it to the development of Alzheimer’s disease. There is a worldwide epidemic of obesity, insulin resistance, and diabetes, and these may also be related to Alzheimer’s disease. Clearly, clarifying the relationship between these common risk factors and Alzheimer’s disease in an aging world is of paramount importance. In the last 5 years I have explored the relationships between diabetes, diet, hypertension and Alzheimer’s disease. I am the principal investigator of 2 projects: a prospective study relating hyperinsulinemia, diabetes, and other vascular risk factors to Alzheimer’s disease, memory decline, and imaging markers of neurodegeneration, and the other relating measures of diabetes control to cognitive decline in elderly persons with diabetes. 

 

Selected Recent Publications:

  • Luchsinger, JA., Reitz C, Honig LS, Tang MX, Shea S, Mayeux R. Aggregation of vascular risk factors and risk of incident Alzheimer’s disease. Neurology 2005; 65(4):545-551.
  • Scarmeas N, Stern Y, Tang MX, Mayeux R, Luchsinger JA. Mediterranean diet and risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Ann Neurol 2006; 59:912-921.
  • Luchsinger JA, Tang MX, Miller J, Green R, Mayeux R. Higher folate intake is related to lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease in the elderly. Arch Neurol 2007;64:86-92.
  • Luchsinger JA, Patel B, Tang MX, Schupf N, Mayeux R. Measures of adiposity and dementia risk in the elderly. Arch Neurol 2007;64:392-398.
  • Scarmeas N, Stern Y, Tang MX, Mayeux R, Luchsinger JA. Mediterranean diet, Alzheimer’s disease, and vascular mediation. Arch Neurol 2006; 63:1709-1717.
  • Luchsinger JA, Tang MX, Miller J, Green R, Mehta, PD, Mayeux R. Relation of plasma homocysteine to plasma amyloid beta levels. Neurochem Res 2007;32:775-
    781.
  • Luchsinger JA, Patel B, Tang MX, Schupf N, Mayeux R. Measures of adiposity and
    dementia risk in elderly persons. Arch Neurol 2007;64:392-398.
  • Luchsinger JA, Mayeux R. Adiposity and Alzheimer’s disease. Curr Alzheimer Res 2007; 4:127-134..
  • Reitz C, Brickman AM, Luchsinger JA, Wu WE, Small S, Tang MX, Mayeux R.
    Frequency of Subclinical Heart Disease in Elderly Persons with Dementia. Am J Geriatr Cardiol 2007; 16:183-188.
  • Luchsinger JA, Reitz C, Patel B, Tang MX, Mayeux R. Relation of diabetes to mild cognitive impairment. Arch Neurol 2007;64:392-398.
  • Luchsinger JA, Tang MX, Mayeux R. Glycemic load and risk of Alzheimer’s disease. J Nutr Health Aging 2007;11:238-241.
  • Muller M, Tang MX, Schupf N, Manly JJ, Mayeux R, Luchsinger JA. Metabolic syndrome and dementia risk in a multiethnic elderly cohort. Dement Geriatr Cogn Disord 2007; 24:185-192.
  • Reitz C,  Patel B,Tang MX, Manly JJ, Mayeux R, Luchsinger JA. Relation between Vascular Risk Factors and Neuropsychological Test Performance among Elderly Persons with Alzheimer's Disease. J Neurol Sci 2007;257:194-201.
  • Reitz C , Luchsinger JA. Hypertension, Cognitive Impairment and Dementia. An epidemiological perspective. Current Hypertension Reviews 2007;3:166-176.
  • Reitz C, Tang MX, Manly JJ, Mayeux R, Luchsinger JA. Plasma Lipid Levels and the Risk of Mild Cognitive Impairment. Dement Geriatr Cogn Disord 2008;25:232-237.
  • Luchsinger JA, Patel B, Tang MX, Schupf N, Mayeux R. Body mass index, dementia, and mortality in the elderly. J Nutr Health Aging 2008;12: 127-131.
  • Reitz C, Tang MX, Manly JJ, Mayeux R, Luchsinger JA. Hypertension and risk of mild cognitive impairment. Arch Neurol (in press).
  • Luchsinger JA. Adiposity, hyperinsulinemia, diabetes, and dementia: an epidemiological perspective. Eur J Pharmacol (in press)
  • Luchsinger JA, Honig LS, Tang MX, Devanand DP. Depressive symptoms, vascular risk factors, and Alzheimer’s disease. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry (in press).