Evaluation of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is necessary to ensure optimal management. Several scales for assessing HRQoL of patients with AD exist, in particular the Quality of Life in Alzheimer’s Disease (QoL-AD), which includes an evaluation by the caregiver of the patient’s HRQoL. The aim of this study was to identify factors associated with patient, caregiver and overall HRQoL as assessed by the QoL-AD. Cross-sectional multicenter study in subjects aged 65 years and older, with mild to moderate AD. HRQoL scores from the QoL-AD were recorded (3 scores, corresponding to patient, caregiver and overall), as well as sociodemographic variables for the patient and the caregiver, and data from the geriatric cognitive assessment (cognitive, psycho-behavioral, functional evaluations). Caregiver burden was evaluated using the Zarit caregiver burden scale. Factors associated with each QoL-AD score were identified by multivariate linear regression using t-tests and β estimations. Study was registered in Clinical Trial.gov (NCT02814773). In total, 123 patients with AD were included. For the patient QoL-AD evaluation, depression was significantly associated with lower HRQoL (β = − 2.56 ± 1.28, p = 0.04), while polypharmacy (β = − 1.80 ± 0.99, p = 0.07) and anxiety (β = − 1.70 ± 1.01, p = 0.09) tended to be associated with lower HRQoL scores. In terms of caregiver evaluations, depression (β = − 3.46 ± 1.09, p = 0.002), polypharmacy (β = − 1.91 ± 0.92, p = 0.04) and the presence of caregiver burden (β = − 3.50 ± 0.91, p = 0.0002) were associated with lower HRQoL. For the overall evaluation, depression (β = − 3.26 ± 1.02, p = 0.002) and polypharmacy (β = − 1.85 ± 0.81, p = 0.03) were significantly related to lower HRQoL. Depression and polypharmacy were two factors influencing HRQoL in patients with AD, both by patient self-report and on the caregiver report. Thus, despite the discrepancies between HRQoL as assessed by patients with AD and HRQoL as assessed by their caregiver, the caregiver’s assessment may be used to guide patient management when the patient can no longer complete QoL evaluations. Moreover, the association between caregiver burden and the caregiver’s QoL-AD score underlines the need to take caregivers into consideration in the overall management of the AD patient.

Longitudinal studies of dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) are rare. Clinically, DLB is usually considered to worsen into Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The aim of our study was to compare the rate of the cognitive decline in DLB, AD, and the association of the two diseases (AD + DLB). Using the Regional Network for Diagnostic Aid and Management of Patients with Cognitive Impairment database, which includes all the patients seen at all memory clinics (medical consultation and day hospitals) in four French regions, and beta regression, we compared the longitudinal the Mini-Mental State Examination scores of 1159 patients with AD (n = 1000), DLB (n = 131) and AD + DLB (association of the two) (n = 28) during follow-up of at least 4 years. The mean follow-up of the patients was 5.88 years. Using beta regression without propensity scores, the comparison of the decline of patients with AD and patients with DLB did not show a significant difference, but the decline of patients with AD + DLB was worse than that of either patients with DLB (P = 0.006) or patients with AD (P < 0.001). Using beta regression weighted by a propensity score, comparison of patients with AD and patients with DLB showed a faster decline for patients with DLB (P < 0.001). The comparison of the decline of patients with AD + DLB with that of patients with DLB (P < 0.001) and patients with AD (P < 0.001) showed that the decline was clearly worse in the patients with dual disease. Whatever the analysis, the rate of decline is faster in patients with AD + DLB dual disease. The identification of such patients is important to enable clinicians to optimise treatment and care and to better inform and help patients and caregivers.

Elastin is a long‐lived extracellular matrix protein responsible for the structural integrity and function of tissues. Breast cancer elastosis is a complex phenomenon resulting in both the deposition of elastotic masses and the local production of elastin fragments. In invasive human breast cancers, an increase in elastosis is correlated with severity of the disease and age of the patient. Elastin‐derived peptides (EDPs) are a hallmark of aging and are matrikines – matrix fragments having the ability to regulate cell physiology. They are known to promote processes linked to tumor progression but their effects on breast cancer cells remain unexplored. Our data show that EDPs enhance the invasiveness of MDA‐MB‐231 breast cancer cells through the engagement of MMP‐14 and MMP‐2 proteases. We therefore suggest that elastosis and/or an aged stroma could promote breast cancer cell invasiveness.