Higher inflammation levels in cognitively normal older adults are associated with conversion to mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease.

In cognitively normal older adults, higher levels of inflammatory markers TNF-α and IL-9 are associated with greater conversion to MCI and AD. This relationship is exacerbated in APOE4 carriers. Together, this suggests that early elevated inflammation levels are associated with subsequent cognitive decline and dementia risk and may be an earlier indicator of future conversion to MCI or AD.