Low Serum Choline Concentrations Are Associated with Worse Cognitive Performance in Subjects with Metabolic Syndrome

OBJECTIVES: Choline is an essential nutrient critical for components of the cell membrane, such as choline-containing phospholipids (phosphatidylcholine and sphingomyelin), and in synthesis of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. Choline has been shown to exert neuroprotective effects, but the association between serum choline and cognitive performance has been scarcely investigated. Our aims are: 1) To study the association between serum total choline, phosphatidylcholine and sphingomyelin with cognitive performance in subjects with metabolic syndrome; and 2) to analyze genetic variants and dietary intake most associated with cholines in this population. METHODS: We analyzed 426 subjects (a…