Factors Predicting the Onset of Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment or Alzheimer's Dementia in Persons With Subjective Cognitive Decline.
Sangwoo Ahn, Michelle A Mathiason, Dereck Salisbury and 1 others
PMID 32936925WHAT IT FOUND
In older adults with self-reported cognitive decline, current smoking and depressive symptoms were associated with higher risk of conversion to amnestic mild cognitive impairment or Alzheimer's dementia, while obesity was associated with lower risk.
Key findings
01Among 1,525 adults with subjective cognitive decline, 386 progressed to amnestic mild cognitive impairment or Alzheimer's dementia.
02After adjustment, current smoking (hazard ratio 2.04) and depressive symptoms (hazard ratio 1.36) were associated with higher progression, while obesity (hazard ratio 0.64) was associated with lower progression.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The sample came from Alzheimer's Disease Centers rather than a population-based study, and it included more women, White individuals, and people with high education than the general population. Subjective cognitive decline was assessed only at baseline, so the study could not examine whether persistent or intermittent symptoms changed risk. The study did not evaluate whether interventions delay progression. Covariates were not all-inclusive; anticholinergic use, physical activity, and diet were not available. BMI was used for obesity, and the authors note BMI may not be a valid measure of fat accumulation in older adults. Only 52 individuals in the analytic sample were current smokers.
Declared interests
The authors disclosed no potential conflicts of interest. The data came from the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center Uniform Data Set, with Alzheimer's Disease Centers funded by the National Institute on Aging.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that obesity protects cognition or that clinicians should advise older adults to gain weight. The study was observational, and the authors note that BMI may not be a valid measure of fat accumulation in older adults.