Researchers at Johns Hopkins and Yale University Medical Schools say that a blood test to measure uric acid could reveal a risk factor for cognitive problems in older adults.

The study found that high-normal levels of uric acid were associated with lower scores on tests that measured mental processing speed, verbal memory and working memory. The study involved 96 participants aged 60 to 92 years.

Uric acid levels naturally increase with age. Higher levels of uric acid are linked with high blood pressure, atherosclerosis, and Type 2 diabetes. Researchers suggest that uric acid testing could potentially become a valuable biological marker for early cognitive problems in older adults.

High-normal uric acid linked with mild cognitive impairment in elderly