Serum aluminum levels in Alzheimer's disease and other senile dementias.

The exact cause of Alzheimer's disease and the part played in it by aluminum is still speculative. We have studied serum aluminum in 356 healthy people, and we have observed that serum aluminum concentration is increased in aging people in relation to age. We suggest that this could be associated with an enhanced gastric permeability or by an increase in metal accumulation proportional to age. We have measured serum aluminum levels in patients with probable Alzheimer's disease, patients with other senile dementias, and age-matched group. Patients with probable Alzheimer's disease have statistically significant higher serum aluminum levels than patients with other types of senile dementias (alcoholic, vascular, multi-infart) and an age-matched control group. When we compare serum aluminum of patients with senile dementias from other causes with the age-matched control group, we do not find significant differences.