Objective:

To investigate whether the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) can predict the risk of developing dementia.

Key Findings:

• Higher NLR values are associated with an increased risk of developing dementia.
• The association is consistent across different patient groups and shows a dose-response pattern.
• NLR testing is widely available and derived from routine blood tests.

Interpretation:

While NLR is linked to dementia risk, it is not specific to dementia and reflects general inflammation influenced by various conditions.

Limitations:

• The study does not establish a causal relationship between inflammation and dementia.
• NLR can be affected by other health conditions, complicating its use as a specific dementia marker.

Conclusion:

NLR could be a valuable marker for identifying patients at higher risk of dementia when combined with other clinical data, but further research is needed to explore its practical applications.